#Sinafay the Defiant

[thefugitivemango]

Variant Attachments

[[ Co-written with @kidcatgemini, player of @sinafay1 and @sinafay-the-defiant ]]

~*~

The Kyrian’s duties in Korthia were primarily as scouts. Their air superiority gave them a distinct advantage in surveying the area. But even for a wingless Kyrian adherent like Grakkar, scouting was the best way he could contribute to the joint efforts of Death’s Advance. An eye in the sky was one thing, but without getting a sense of things on the ground, it didn’t count for much.

The orc hefted his axe over his shoulder, relaxing his stride as he stepped out onto the open road. He’d trudged and crawled through the thickets, underbrush, and cliffsides of this unforgiving land enough for one day, and now returned to the Keeper’s Respite up the hill. Today’s report wasn’t much different than yesterday’s-- fighting here happened quickly and spontaneously, and ended equally so. It made it hard to predict when and where the Mawsworn would strike. But they weren’t amassing anywhere out of the usual. For now.

Grakkar stopped, eyes shooting wide as he entered the encampment. His heart skipped a beat, swelling up in his chest! It was a face he’d know anywhere-- Sinafay’s! What was she doing here? And why was her skin so much more blue than before? Her eyes, too were--

“... Oh.”

It dawned on him, heart beating back normally again… though feeling excessively heavier now, as a result. It was Sinafay. But not his Sinafay. His wall of a Soulbind by her side confirmed it, as the two spoke indistinctly across the camp. Shared a kiss… then Argonas stepped away, approaching the Kyrian forward commanders. Likely to report in. He’d been scarce lately, but Grakkar understood why. After the Battle for Ardenweald, he finally attained what he came here for in the first place. Sinafay.

And… there she was. Standing alone now, watching her mate from afar. That same hopeful, jovial expression as she looked at Argonas that her Lightbound self back home would give Grakkar when he was around. It made him miss her all the more, seeing this facsimile here and now.

Before he knew it, his legs took off without him, closing the distance between him and Sinafay. By the time he was within talking distance of her, he realized he had no idea what to say!

“Nice body.” was his knee-jerk reaction.

He could almost taste his foot as he shoved it in his mouth.

“--Uhh, I mean… I’m glad you restored it. Your body, I mean.” he tried to correct. “Because, you know… last I saw you were a soul.”

An attempt at a save. Not a good one, but an attempt!

Sinafay visibly bristled at the voice. She recognized the gruff Orcish accent easily enough. Her eyes narrowed as she snapped an ice cold glare at Grakkar. Her tail twitched, clearly demonstrating her annoyance as he fumbled his words out.

She hadn’t yet had a chance to discuss with Argonas how he’d ended up with an Orc as a Soulbind. Either way, she at least attempted not to be immediately hostile towards him, if anything because she wasn’t aware of the specifics of how the connection worked.

“Thank you…” she replied, though it appeared to take great effort on her part, “It has served me well thus far.”

She crossed her arms over her chest and stuck out her hip, brows knit as she looked him over. Old… very old. No doubt a good fighter to have reached that age. She wondered how many Draenei deaths he was responsible for…

There was an awkward silence as they both just stood there eyeing each other. She wasn’t certain why Grakkar wasn’t leaving… was he attempting to befriend her because of the link with Argonas, she wondered? Sinafay looked over towards where her husband had gone, hoping to catch his gaze and indicate he should come back, but he appeared to be in a deep conversation about the mission report. She let out a heavy sigh before returning her attention to the Orc.

“You and Argonas are… Soulbinds, yes?” she figured she might as well attempt to gather information, “What exactly does that entail?”

“It’s, uh… complicated.” he sputtered out, not entirely sure how to answer that. “The Kyrian do this ritual to connect people, so they can draw on one another’s strengths. Argonas and I share a link of sorts. Memories. Emotions. Those kinds of things we can glean from one another’s pasts.”

It was honestly about all he knew about it, for having undergone a Soulbinding ritual personally. The rest of it felt… innate. Unable to be put into words, just understood through the experience. He found a lot of shamanistic rituals were like that, too.

“--Ah! You’re a shaman, right?” he brightened, smiling as he remembered that fact! “I remember Argonas mentioning that. Or… reading it from his memories. Either way, that’s impressive! Where I come from, not a lot of Draenei have the tenacity or commitment for such a sacred calling.”

He smiled a bit. Relaxing. This was going well… he thought. He hoped.

“I… am, yes,” she replied, tail flickering behind her. She wasn’t about to mention that having a new body made it so that she had to reconnect with the elements once again. It was one of the main reasons she wanted to accompany Argonas to Korthia, what better place to reconnect than on the field of battle itself?

The idea of him gleaning memories and emotions from Argonas was… disturbing, to say the least. Especially considering she and her mate had spent the past few months doing nothing but celebrating her return in very physical ways! She couldn’t help but wonder how much of that he’d picked up. Perhaps it was the reason he was so relaxed around her. Her nose scrunched up in disgust. It was uncomfortable to say the least. This Orc already seemed to know so much about her, yet she knew next to nothing about him.

For the moment, she pushed aside the memory and emotions issue to concentrate on the other things Grakkar had divulged.

“What do you mean ‘where you are from?’” She couldn’t help but ask, noting his skin color and tattoos, “You speak of Nagrand?”

"Heh, good eye. You know your clans, it seems." he nodded.

Grakkar then spread his arms and turned slightly to further show off his Warsong clan markings. He was impressed; this Sinafay seemed as interested in Orcish culture as his was!

"I'm from a different timeline than you are, though-- the one you Azerothians returned to and saved from the Legion's devastation." he clarified, straightening up once more. "After you all left, the Orcish clans and the Draenei empire lived in peace… for a time. Before the Lightbound Crusade."

A frown crossed his features, diminishing the polite and friendly smile he had tried to maintain in her presence. Even now, the sudden betrayal of the Draenei weighed heavily on his heart. He lost so many people he cared about to that zealous treachery. Including Neelah.

"But… that isn't a very pleasant story." he shook his head, shrugging the negative memories away for now. "Regardless, it's impressive to see a Draenei cultivate an affinity to the elements."

Sinafay simply blinked as a pack of new information came rolling out of the Orc’s mouth. Draenor? Draenei and Orcs living in peace?! Lightbound Crusade? She shook her head as she tried to digest it all… except none of it made any sense!

“Wait wait wait,” her arms finally uncrossed from over her chest, to bring her fingers to rub at her temples, “You are saying that the portals to Draenor are OPEN again?! Since when?! What the fuck is a Lightbound?! What crusade?!”

So many questions filled her head. She looked towards Argonas once more. He hadn’t mentioned anything of the sort!

Fuck, she needed a drink!

Grakkar's eyes widened, brow raising. His lips grew narrow, as he began to recognize the familiar signs or panic and confused anger in this Sinafay he had learned from the true one back home. He had definitely upset her.

"--Oh, uh… no, no. The portals aren't open again. They were briefly so we could escape the Lightbound Crusade." he tried to explain simply and quickly as possible. "The, uh, the Lightbound were what the Draenei in my timeline became after the Azerothians left. Their leader grew zealous and broke the peace to try and force the Light onto us. They killed anyone who resisted, so… uh…"

Only after he expounded on the terrible incident did he realize… knowing more probably wouldn't calm this Sinafay down. Just like the feeling of shame and anger he felt learning the Orcs of the Azerothian timeline had succumbed to the Fel, he suspected this particular Sinafay might not be pleased to hear her people had become oppressors.

Whoops.

"I, uh… I'll let Argonas fill you in on the rest of that. Where'd he get off to, anyway…?"

He joined Sinafay in looking for his Soulbind… but the crowd had grown. Argonas was nowhere in sight!

She took the opportunity to get up in his face. Hands grabbing his tabard and tugging his attention back to her as she growled at him. He was right, she was upset. Tail flicked erratically behind her, and despite having not fully reconnected to the elements, static electricity and sparks of lightning became evident at her growing sour mood.

“Details, Orc,” she practically barked out the command, “Now.”

His lips almost curled into a smile. Almost. Sinafay was so sexy when she was angry and aggressive… even this Azerothian variant! It took significant willpower to keep his hands at his side, rather than grabbing at and groping the Draenei like he would do back home in a situation like this. He had to remind himself this wasn’t his Sinafay.

Hopefully she didn’t notice his erection-- the damn thing clearly couldn’t tell the difference.

“The, uh… the clans were thinned, and forced to merge into one clan and unite against the Lightbound. But even that didn’t stop them, after their empire had grown so powerful. The last of us escaped through the portal to Azeroth, right after the Ogres succumbed.” he elaborated, at her insistence. “Light drove them to madness, same as an excess of any magic would. I know things worked out differently in your timeline, so this must be hard to hear, Sina. But… your people on Draenor turned into zealots.”

He brought his hand up to gently push hers off of him. His arousal abated, after recounting the awful tragedy that ended his life on Draenor. That, and Sinafay’s rage was far less sexy when he couldn’t fight back, as it turned out...

“--Look, don’t get mad at me, alright? I didn’t raise my weapon to any Draenei who weren’t trying to kill me. After the peace, anyway…” he attempted to quell her anger further. “No, during the Lightbound Crusades, I even worked with a Draenei; the real Sinafay, actually! And later after that, Sinafay and I… well… she became my mate.”

He smiled. That would’ve surely cheered her up, to learn that her true self wasn’t one of the oppressive out-of-control Lightbound that conquered his people!

“We even had a child together-- but that’s more recent, once we got here to Azeroth. Argonas thought it was his at first, and we had a big fight over it. I won, easily, but it was still a sore point in our relationship.” he continued, filling Sinafay in on the more recent details. “But we’re past it now, and are working together! One more point of proof, if you need it, that I’m most definitely a friend of the Draenei! Married one, have one as a child-- and if I can work well with Argonas, what more proof do you need?”

With a hearty laugh, Grakkar brought his hand firmly down on Sinafay’s shoulder! He was so glad they were getting along now!

Sinafay’s head spun. She remained in front of Grakkar, hands still up in front of her, balled into fists as he recounted all the details to her. Her eyes widened as he explained the path her kin on Draenor had taken. Surely, the Orcs must have provoked them somehow! But then, she’d seen for herself how the Naaru and the Light could corrupt back on Argus. It turned her stomach that such a corrupted path had been the one Yrel had taken…

She shook her head slowly, face visibly paled and brows drawn together as she tried to make sense of it. Surely, Rurik wouldn’t have stood for something like that nor would her mother or—

—The news of her Draenor counterpart took her completely by surprise. She blinked as Grakkar updated her on her alternate self. She stared at the Orc in shock and disbelief. Part of her was pleased that the other Sinafay had both fought against and survived the crusade. It seemed their will to do what was right and their survival skills were similar.

Apparently, though, that was where their similarities ended. Her counterpart was mated AND had birthed Grakkar’s child?! And why would Argonas think the child was…

Wait.

He would only think the child was his if…

Anger returned to the forefront of her mind as she realized two things. One: her alternate self had managed to cross over and was now living on Azeroth. Two: Argonas was sleeping with her again.

The hand on her shoulder was the breaking point. Baring her fangs, Sinafay grabbed Grakkar’s upper arms and moved forward as she raised her knee, swiftly connecting hard into the Orc’s testicles.

“Fuck that bitch and fuck YOU!”

She was furious! Her eyes flared as lightning sparked around her form. Shoving Grakkar aside, she stomped off into the wilds of Korthia, tail swinging aggressively behind her.

She needed air.

~*~

Grakkar wasn’t sure how long he was on the ground. His eyes fluttered open to see his Soulbind Argonas, scowling down at him. Slowly, sound returned to him. Muffled mumblings at first, but growing more clear as his senses returned to him.

“... ere is she? Where is Sinafay?” Argonas asked, demandingly.

That’s when it started rushing back to the Orc. The memories and the pain, both. He winced, feeling the intense pain in his groin all at once.

“--A-Ancestors…” he whimpered.

Argonas, too, grimaced-- their Soulbinding translating that physical pain in Grakkar into sympathetic pain for the Vindicator. He glanced down, and briefly brushed his hand overtop the Orc’s battered bundle. A flash of Light, and the pain was suppressed. For now.

“--Hnngh… Thank you…” Grakkar managed to speak, no longer straining from the intensity of the pain. “She… kicks really hard… I didn’t expect it-- we were getting along so well!”

“Clearly not as well as you think!” Argonas resumed scolding.

He pulled Grakkar up, whether he wanted to sit up or not, and crossed his arms before him.

“I will ask again; where is she? You were with her last, and clearly upset her!”

“I… I don’t know. We were talking about Shamanism, then about Draenor…” Grakkar replied, as the memories started lining up again. “Then about the Lightbound, and the real Sina… then our child, and--”

“--Wait, you told her about the other Sinafay?” Argonas interrupted, frowning. “What exactly did you say?”

“That she and I had a child together. I told her how we fought over it, when you thought it was yours, but only to indicate that we had moved past that, yeah?” the Orc replied, grunting as he slowly stood up. “I was trying to show her I’m not like most of the Orcs you and she have encountered in your timeline. That I’m a friend. I thought that’d be best, given our circumstances.”

Argonas had stopped listening after the part about the baby. His eyes widened, skin growing a paler shade of blue. He turned, staring at the ground as a million thoughts raced through his mind. None of them good.

“... She knows, then. And she is not happy about it.”

“About what?”

“About the other Sinafay. And how we--”

He gasped, turning to Grakkar. He didn’t have to say it-- their soulbind link conveyed it well enough in the moment. Argonas was not supposed to have rekindled things with the Sinafay from Draenor. Grakkar could tell immediately.

“... It’s alright, big guy. Look, you just explain to her that you thought she was gone for good, yeah? She’ll forgive you!”

“Does she seem like a forgiving person to you!?” Argonas snapped back, brow furrowed. “They hated each other! Light, I should have warned you, but I did not expect you would speak of that in your first ever encounter with her!”

“... Second, technically.” the Orc mumbled to himself. “I… I’m sorry. I didn’t know.”

The silence lingered between the two of them for a moment. Both feeling the complexity and awkwardness of the situation through their soulbind. Finally, Grakkar shrugged.

“I’m gonna go.”

“I think that would be best, yes.” Argonas nodded. “Lay low for now. I will sort this out so it does not interfere with our duties to the Kyrian.”

“--No, Argonas… I’m gonna go home.”

Argonas raised his brow, as he looked at Grakkar. The Orc nodded resolutely, as he hefted his axe back over his shoulder. Aside from a pair of bruised berries, his encounter with Sinafay had left him with one thing; homesickness. As much as he wanted to help, he was starting to realize what this time apart from his mate and daughter was really costing him. He had been able to push his feelings down until now. But seeing Sinafay? Even a copy of her? Those feelings were too much to ignore.

He didn’t have to say it, though-- Argonas could feel it. And honestly, were he in the same position, he couldn’t say for sure that he’d continue to squash the feelings for the good of the mission. It was time for his Soulbind to return to Azeroth.

“... Mm. So be it.” he replied, nodding.

He stepped forward, and extended a hand. A gesture of goodwill-- the first he’d ever made towards an Orc! Grakkar smirked, taking Argonas’ hand in his and squeezing it firmly. They grinned to one another.

“Honor and glory to you, Argonas.”

“And Light’s blessings upon you and yours, Grakkar.”

Grakkar nodded one final time, before turning to depart. He paused, calling back as he approached the portal.

“--And good luck with all that!”

His chuckle echoed across the Sanctuary, before fading away with his physical form back to Oribos.

~*~

[[ @sinafay1 / @sinafay-the-defiant / @argonas / @grakkar-gorefang ]]

[kidcatgeminiart]

March Prompt - Grakkar and Sinafay 

Flower: Daffodil

The daffodil symbolizes  rebirth and new beginnings. It became associated with new beginnings (and the coming of spring) because it is one of the first perennials to  bloom after the winter frost.

~*~*~

Despite the many years Grakkar ( @grakkar-gorefang ) and Sinafay ( @sinafay-the-defiant ) have spent as lovers, only recently have the two been able to live as a couple. Opposing the High Exarch's fanatical movement, Sinafay worked as an informant to the Mag'har, meeting Grakkar in secret to exchange information and help sabotage the Draenei's plans. Through the turmoils of escaping Alternate Draenor's perils and the faction war on Azeroth, the two were finally able to reunite and build a new life together.

Grakkar Gorefang belongs to @thefugitivemango ! Check out their writing here!

~*~*~

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[sinafay-the-defiant]

Sinafay the Defiant

Race: Lightbound Draenei (AU Draenor)

Age: 800+

Sexuality: Heterosexual / Monogamous 

Profession: Vindicator

Addictions: Sex

Marital Status: Mated to Grakkar Gorefang ( @grakkar-gorefang​ )

Stubborn, passionate and honorable, Sinafay will always fight for what she feels is right. Standing up against tyranny, she didn’t hesitate to put her life on the line on Alternate Draenor, escaping to Azeroth with her Mag’har mate in an attempt to live a peaceful life together.

Current Situation: Keeping watch over her child and farmland while her mate is away on a calling in the Shadowlands.

FC: Lauren Cohan

[kaiekasunwhisper]

Hello On the Other Side

(( Co-written with @grakkar-gorefang / @thefugitivemango / @argonas . @avehi-the-adamant​ , @brent-sunborn​ and @sinafay-the-defiant for character mention.))

~*~*~

The fighting was done. Grakkar slowly felt the fatigue set in as his adrenaline began to die off. It had been a long day; at least, in his perspective. Time seemed to work differently here in the Shadowlands, with people who had been dead for only a few years saying they’d been here much, much longer. It made him wonder how much time had actually passed on Azeroth… if it were shorter than it felt, hopefully it meant his beloved mate and daughter wouldn’t miss him as much as he missed them. Which, by now, was a tremendous amount.

He shook his head, securing his axe down in the desiccated dust that comprised most of Maldraxxus’ ground. Blood and bile that caked it had turned a sickening shade of greyish blue. Something he’d have to wash off once he got back to Bastion. That couldn’t come soon enough. He’d grown tired of this place.

His Soulbind, Argonas, had joined Avehi and the rest of the Necrolord leaders inside the Seat of the Primus, a large statue of what many Maldraxxi revered as the greatest military mind the Shadowlands had ever known. Argonas was eager to meet and speak with Avehi the Adamant, a mutual friend and recent ally of the Necrolords. They had much to discuss following the fall of the House of Constructs. But Grakkar wasn’t much of a talker, and opted to wait outside. He sat down on a bench-- or large femur?-- and sighed. Lips curling to a small smile in the aftermath of a good and glorious battle!

Kai’eka watched him from her position not too far away, arms crossed, eyebrow raised. After all the trouble Grakkar had gone through to be with his stupid mate, what was he doing in the Shadowlands? Had they split up again? She felt a familiar stir of emotions as the possibility of him being single again was entertained. Not for long, however. She shook her head, remembering how disgustingly vulnerable he’d made her last time. She wasn’t interested in that sort of pointless, fleeting thing…

She picked up a small rock and tossed it at the Orc’s head, minding her undead strength. 

“Hey, Dumbass! What’s got you hanging out with dead people?”

"--Hrm?"

The Orc turned as the rock whizzed past his head; a near miss, thanks to his post-battle jittery reflexes. Seeing Kai'eka became even less reason to try and relax in this battle-scarred place. He stood, offering the Death Knight a forced smile and casual wave. Avehi wasn't lying-- there she was, eyes aglow with that telltale lichfire. It was still so vexing to think she had been a Twilight Cultist all along… it really made the Orc carry on with more caution around people. He couldn't take anyone for face value anymore. Still, Avehi had said Kai'eka was reformed in her undeath. Now an Ebon Knight, like she was. He afforded Kai'eka a cursory trust on Avehi's word alone. The Draenei was honest, to a brutal degree. And had earned his respect and favor in caring for his beloved. 

Still, an uneasy feeling welled up within him as he looked upon Kai'eka. One he just… couldn't shake.

"They know how to do an exciting battle, I heard. Had to see for myself." Grakkar replied, smirking. "You're looking good, for being dead now."

The Death Knight shrugged, pushing herself off the rock wall and walked over to sit by the Orc… at least, as close as he’d allow. She rested her large sword up next to his axe against the femur. It actually felt nice being next to him without that drive kicking in. It made it all the more easy to keep her mind clear.

“Best I’ve ever been,” she answered. An exaggeration given her recently broken rune weapon. In truth, she felt exhausted and stretched thin. Nothing he needed to know. “Should have taken this route a long time ago.”

She glanced to him, her expression ever neutral.

“Thought you were done fighting. Settling down with your wife or whatever…”

A grunt came, as the Orc's response. Familiar enough to Kai'eka to be one of affirmation. Orcs had a grunt for every occasion. 

"We have a farmstead, in Arathi." He nodded, proudly. "My daughter, Neelah, grows stronger every day. A warrior to be, no doubt."

He shifted, turning to better face his old friend. He wasn't shy in looking her over; though he hardly looked at her the way he once did. Platonic, now. For more reasons than one. Her armor was familiar enough; he had seen enough Ebon Knights with plate of similar craft. Just one sword, though? That was new. Her eyes, however, drew the bulk of his attention. He wasn't used to seeing the azure flames of undeath flickering from them. Unsettling, yet entrancing. 

"The Ancestors, however, had something else in mind for me. Close brushes with death sometimes strengthen our connections in that way." He shrugged. "They called me here, to help save them from the Maw."

She raised an eyebrow at that. Grakkar had always seemed rather removed from the spiritual way of things. She didn’t think he was lying, but how odd that they wouldn’t call upon a shaman instead. Of course, it wasn’t as though they had ever talked about such things before… and she wasn’t exactly open to such talks now, either way. 

“Well, don’t be getting yourself killed in the process,” she smirked, “Not sure how things work if you die on this side of the veil. Plus, I wouldn’t mind visiting your farm for the occasional spar once this is over.”

She brought an arm up to punch him in the shoulder, before changing the subject.

“How’s my stupid lizard?”

“Dumb as ever. The sounds he and Kronk make keep wolves off the farmstead, at least.” Grakkar chuckled, recoiling slightly from the punch. “He’s being well taken care of. I promise.”

He looked at Kai’eka again, appraisingly. He wanted to ask what she was doing here. But then again, he figured she was doing the same thing Avehi was-- trying to fix whatever broke on this side of death. He looked away, glancing down at the bone dust beneath his boots. It made for a period of somewhat-awkward silence between them… a silence that in meetings long before this one would’ve been otherwise filled. 

The thought now made him shudder.

“--You, er… you’re missing a sword, looks like.” he commented; anything to break the silence.

Her ears twitched at the statement. The memory alone of losing her blade tore her up. The physical pain had been intense, but the emotional toll it took on her was indescribable. It was like losing part of herself. More than the bond between an Ebon Knight and their rune weapon, she’d earned her swords early on in her cultist life. She’d gathered the pieces of the shattered weapon. Perhaps, one day, she’d find a blacksmith that she trusted enough to reforge it.

Outwardly, she shrugged as though they were talking about the weather.

“Avehi decided to get pissy over a misunderstanding. Broke the blade fighting her.”

She didn’t mention she’d lost the fight, of course. 

“Apparently, I have poor judgment in picking sides,” she rolled her eyes, “Moody bitch.”

“Heh, she seems like. I only met her once, but she gave me a death stare. Like… a literal death stare, like she was trying to kill me in her head.” Grakkar added, shaking his head. “Then later, after our farm was attacked, she stood vigil so Sinafay, Neelah and I could sleep peacefully.”

He shrugged, chuckling a bit at the absurdity of the two drastically different encounters he’d had with their mutual friend. He seemed to speak about her with a sense of reverence… and fear. One more than the other, it seemed. 

“We owe her a lot. She’s been a dear friend to Sina.”

He looked Kai’eka over, lips pursing a bit around his tusks. Another shrug.

“... She was the one who told me you died. And… that you were a Twilight Cultist.” he admitted. “While we, erm… between our visits, you weren’t really on Alliance business, huh?”

Kai’eka’s expression remained neutral, though her ears flickered slightly, surprised that Avehi had disclosed that information. It wasn’t something she wanted spread around, and she’d hoped the Death Knight would respect that. Her facade gave way to a frown. Who else knew? 

A question for another time. For now, she debated how to answer Grakkar’s question. She could lie, but he’d been as honest as he could be with her in all their time together. She sighed, casting her gaze to the side.

“I joined the Twilights in my early adulthood. Devoted my life to it. When I got stranded with you, I wasn’t collecting Azerite for the Alliance. It was for the Twilights. When we bumped into each other in Naz’jatar, my partner and I were working with the naga, killing and sacrificing Alliance and Horde soldiers indiscriminately, for the Masters,” she shrugged, “I never had any doubts about the cause I was fighting for. I died for it, more than once, without regret. Even when it all went to shit. Once I died for good, though… saw the Maw,” she shook her head, “All one big motherfucking lie.”

Her gaze returned to his, gauging his reaction. It felt strange, opening up to him again. It was like that first night they’d talked by the fire. This time, without the sexual tension. It was odd. She’d only ever spoken like this with Brent.

“Thankfully, for you, you’ve got a great cock. So, no. You were never in any danger.”

Grakkar’s expression was… neutral. Neutral for him. Brow furrowed, bottom lip pushed a bit forward. He was fighting a frown, it was plain to see. Slowly, he shook his head before looking at Kai’eka again.

“... I had no idea. To choose so poorly… to align yourself with a destructive power like that…”

He narrowed his eyes at Kai’eka for a tense moment. Judgingly-- no, not judging? Looking straight at him, his expression was no frown of anger, but one of sorrow. He reached his hand out, and planted it on Kai’eka’s shoulder. He sighed.

“I know what that’s like.” he admitted, nodding sympathetically. “I was blindly following my Warchief back on Draenor. When he told us that the Iron Horde would conquer worlds, I believed him. I fought for him, killing countless innocent people. Not just Draenei, but fellow Orcs too.”

Another heavy sigh, as his arm fell from Kai’eka’s shoulder, back down beside him. 

“It’s easy to get caught up in the wrong cause, sometimes. Neelah, my first mate, showed me how wrong I was in those days. Saved me from making any more terrible mistakes.” he went on. “We need people like that. Outside perspectives from those who care for us. If I had known back then, I--”

He tensed, eyes widening at the slip. Quickly he cleared his throat. 

“--That is… maybe I could have helped you see a better path. Without you having to die to see it, anyway.” he shrugged. “Though… you said it’s been working out well for you, too. So maybe not.”

He looked away, back out at the scenery-- if you could call it that-- of Maldraxxus. 

Kai’eka wasn’t entirely certain how to respond. She expected anger and criticism, and would have almost preferred it. That, at least, was familiar. She glanced to his hand as it rested on her shoulder, fighting the instinct to smack it away. Memories of how wonderful those hands had made her feel in the past… Strangely, they comforted her in a different way now.

Her features softened as he spoke of the Iron Horde. While he hadn’t spent six hundred years following the wrong cause, he at least understood the situation she’d gotten herself into. She was thankful he had someone able to pull him out before it was too late.

“It’s best you didn’t know,” she sighed, shaking her head, “I was part of a close knit group… we watched each other’s backs, and dealt with anyone who posed a threat to the cause, quickly and efficiently. One or both of us would have ended up dead. With no one to revive us for the better.”

Another shrug of the shoulders, “I know, because I did that for others. My brother… I killed his lover when I noticed the relationship started pulling him away from the Twilights. And then, eventually, I killed -him- too. Probably about a week before you broke things off with me. So… I think things worked out for the best.” She nodded, “You got the family you were fighting for, and I got a second chance to fight for a better cause. Hopefully, I’m killing for the right people this time.”

“--Wait, you killed him yourself?” Grakkar half-gasped, surprised. “I… Ancestors, I can’t begin to imagine what that must’ve been like.”

He commented… but opted not to dwell on that detail too long. He imagined it was a sensitive issue, especially considering that she died, as well. Was he around here somewhere, he wondered…?

“--Either way, you’re right. I think we both found better paths for ourselves. Somehow.” he chuckled lightly, to attempt to lighten the mood. “And I know it didn’t amount to anything, but… I enjoyed our, uh… associating, back then.”

Ugh. That felt like something Argonas would say. So tactful and proper, rather than just saying it straight up. This soulbinding had its drawbacks…

“You’re a good fuck. And an even better fighter.” he added bluntly, as he preferred. “I’m glad we met. And glad you’re still around.”

Despite her best efforts, a contented smile formed on her usually hard features. It felt good to finally open up to him. Other than Brent, she’d never felt this close to anyone before. It was both comforting and frightening at once. And she had to fight a knee jerk reaction to push him away.

“Mutual,” she replied, “I uh… I’m pretty shit at making friends, for obvious reasons. So… it’s nice, you know… when people stick around. Even when I do my best to push them away.”

She half expected Brent to step out of the shadows and poke fun at her after this, but somehow knew he wouldn’t. Something had certainly changed since she’d died. He never bothered to check up on her anymore. She tried not to dwell on it much, but it upset her much more than she wanted to admit.

She reached out to take his large hand, slipping a pointed rune etched object into it.

“That being said. If ever you’re looking for a good spar, or just someone to join you in battle, don’t hesitate to contact me. You can use this to reach out,” she nodded to the object she’d placed in his hand, a pit lord fang, “Just concentrate on the rune, speak into it, and I’ll get the message. Not entirely sure how it works. Magic’s not my specialty. Never was. Still new to the whole Ebon Blade shit. Also, you might want to warn your wife that I’ll be showing up at the farm from time to time to check up on Doofus.”

“Hah, alright. We’re used to Death Knight friends popping in from time to time, so I don’t think she’ll mind.” He nodded, pocketing the runed fang. “We’ll definitely have to spar sometime. I haven’t had a good one-on-one fight in a while, so that’ll be fun to have a friendly match. See how much stronger you are, now that you’re undead.”

With that, Grakkar’s attention was drawn upward-- the squadron of Kyrian took flight from the Seat Overlook. Which meant Argonas wouldn’t be far along behind them. It seemed their mission was finally over, here-- and not a moment too soon!

“Well, that’s my cue. My Soulbind will be along in a bit, and then we’re headed back.” he explained, as he stood up and picked up his axe. “But it was really good to see you again, Kai.”

“--Kai? Kai’eka?”

A less-familiar voice rang out from the stairs above them. The clopping and clanking of plated hooves echoed through the air as Argonas descended, eyeing the Death Knight.

“Well met! Quite a coincidence, finding you here.” he nodded, drawing close.

“--Ah, er, um… you know each other?” Grakkar asked, brow askew.

“We sparred once, I believe. In Stormwind. But do not worry, Grakkar-- not the kind of sparring you do with her, yes?”

The Orc snarled at Argonas, shoving his shoulder to turn him away-- another unfortunate side effect of the Soulbinding. He pushed and followed after Argonas quickly, waving quickly back at Kai’eka.

“--We, uh… we gotta go!” he said, hastily. “Good catching up! See you around, yeah?”

“Yes, always a pleasure, Warchief!” Argonas added, smirking.

Kai’eka’s expression went from content, to puzzled, to angry, all in the short span of Argonas showing up. She snarled at the pet name and stood up, gripping her sword. She had half a mind to throw it at the retreating pair, but thought better of it. Losing one rune blade had been enough for today.

“Motherfucker...” she grumbled to herself, before heading up the stairs to meet Avehi.

One thing was for certain, Grakkar would have questions to answer when next they met!

~*~*~

[argonas]

Misguided Justice - Pt. I

[[ Co-written with @kidcatgemini​ / @sinafay-the-defiant​ ]]

Evening had descended by the time Argonas set hoof on the small Arathi farmstead. Quaint and simple, the Vindicator could barely believe this is where his wayward student Sinafay had settled down. No measure of justice was served from such a simple life. But then, he knew she’d abandoned such duties in favor of her abhorrent and deviant lifestyle. His fists clenched as he paced up the hill from the fields proper, towards the small cottage overlooking the land. Smoke billowing from the chimney served as a sure sign someone was home. Sinafay… Grakkar… that abomination they called a child… he expected to find all three inside. Disgusting and unnatural as it was, that wasn’t even why Argonas was here. No, Sinafay’s transgressions far exceeded that, now.

Despite Raetos’ unwillingness to do what was necessary, and his efforts to convince the Vindicator of such, Argonas knew otherwise. Anyone who abided such evils as Avehi raising the dead were just as culpable as she was! By harboring and abetting the Death Knight, Sinafay had made her choice. And the Light demanded its justice. It almost hurt to consider; he really had taken pride in training young Sinafay in the ways of the Light, helping to nurture and cultivate her talents into a beacon of strength for their people. Such a waste…

His heavy hand banged against the wooden door - so fragile, he worried it might break if he hit it too hard. Still, the firm knocks echoed through the farmstead, as the Vindicator made his presence known.

“Sinafay!” he called out. “Sinafay the Defiant!”

It didn’t take very long for the door to open, revealing a very angry looking Draenei, brows knit into a scowl. She’d done a great job at losing the baby weight, already a good way back to her Vindicator fitness level. She wore a lovely, yet simple robe, ideal for a busy mother, yet accentuated her natural curves and showed off her Light bound tattoos. 

“Argonas,” she scolded, “Do you mind maybe NOT waking the baby I just put to sleep?!”

She pushed forward to try and shove the Vindicator back, but Argonas was unmovable as always, and in his full armor of course! With a frustrated huff, she moved around him, shutting the door behind her as she began to walk down the hill, tail twitching. Best to do the yelling away from Neelah. She couldn’t imagine what her former mentor was doing here at this time of night.

“What the FUCK are you doing here?!” She growled.

Perhaps it was motherhood, the hormones raging through her. Or perhaps coupling with a filthy Orc for too long had boosted her aggression. Maybe, partly, she was upset to see him again after how he left things with her. There were many likely factors, but no matter what or why, Sinafay was being terribly bitchy. It wasn't the attractive sour attitude he cherished in his departed mate, either; she was just being erratic and grumpy. Terribly unappealing!

He followed her a ways down the hill, stern expression his only real response to her demeanor. He looked her over, a mixture of sorrow and regret overcoming him. Oh how far she'd fallen… even glistening with the Light from her Lightforging did little to make her seem redeemable after such a terrible track her life had followed. It pained him to see his former pupil like this. Such shame he felt, clearly having failed to teach her not to parlay with savage orcs, or aide depraved Death Knights. She was his greatest failure.

"... I am told you sheltered and aided Avehi. Is this true?" Argonas asked, bluntly.

Sinafay raised a brow, turning to look at him as the question was asked. She relaxed a bit, having shaken off the anger now that they were a fair distance away from the house.

“She was here a few months ago; came across the farm by happenstance. Hadn’t seen each other for a while, so we caught up. Went on her way after that.”

Sinafay crosses her arms over her chest. Why was Argonas looking for Avehi? She thought back on her conversation with the Death Knight, frowning. She finally took a moment to look the Vindicator over; those dark circles under his eyes… and something looked off in that luminous gaze of his. Something she’d missed in her earlier frustration.

“If that’s what you mean by ‘sheltered and aided’, then yeah, I guess I did. Why?”

“She has dragged you into her terrible misdeeds.” Argonas elaborated, albeit vaguely. “Avehi has been raising the dead for nefarious purposes. If you are a friend to her, she will likely come here to seek shelter again. To hide from the Light’s justice.”

His eyes narrowed, as he reached back to draw his crystalline blade.

“This, I cannot allow.”

Sinafay didn’t wait a moment longer to see where the conversation was leading. She’d seen this exact situation play out too many times, on Draenor, to those suspected of aiding the Mag’har under Yrel’s reign.

She wasn’t about to allow him to use that blade. While she’d taken on a more domestic role over the past months, she’d kept her senses sharp. Having an Orc mate who enjoyed a good spar helped quite a bit.

Her eyes flared, hands slamming into the large Vindicator’s chest with a powerful blast of Holy Light to push him back before taking on a defensive position.

“I suppose I was right to not have trusted you after all.”

It hurt to have her suspicions realized. To know that her mentor was as blinded as the people she’d left behind on her world. She felt justified, in a way, the guilt of hiding her relationship with Grakkar from him washing away.

“Leave us be, Argonas,” she warned, baring her teeth, “This is your only warning.”

The Vindicator’s hooves scraped along the ground, slowing him from skidding too far back. He grunted, frowning deeper at Sinafay. He expected resistance, of course. He’d trained her well enough not to take a death threat lying down!

“Do you think I want to do this? I thought I had taught you better! But you have fallen so far from the path I laid out for you!” he growled, plated fist tightening around the hilt of his blade. “You failed! You abandoned your post! You betrayed our kin on Draenor, breaking your vow to protect them! And for an Orc!?”

“Hmph. Consider it my highest honor.” Sinafay shot back, defiantly.

Argonas grunted. He rushed in, hoofsteps hastened by the Light itself in a furious charge. He swung his sword in a wide arc towards Sinafay. Sinafay shot forward as he charged. She didn’t have a weapon or armor, but knew agility wasn’t Argonas’ strong suit, and planned to use that to her advantage. She rolled as he swung, just passed his right leg to end up behind him, her tail wrapped around his ankle, tugging it back with her momentum as she got to her hooves. 

She didn’t turn back to look if he’d fallen forward or not as she kept running; hoping she’d bought herself a bit of time as she headed towards Grakkar’s workshop. She knew there would be a weapon or something there she could use to defend herself with. The Lightbound could hear nothing but her rapid heartbeat as adrenaline rushed through her system, making it impossible to know if he was right behind her or not.

Suddenly, a bolt of Light struck her shoulder, knocking her off balance just as she reached the workshop. She stumbled and fell into the door, crashing through it! The heavy hoofbeats of Argonas closed in, making up what distance the tripping attack bought had cost him.

“And now, you abide by such abhorrence as Avehi raising the dead! Our own people, enthralled by her necrotic powers!” he continued to charge Sinafay, shouting aggressively. “I know not what set you on such a depraved path after we parted, Sina. But it has led to this final judgment! The Light will not tolerate your abusing its blessing to supplement death and pain to its chosen people!”

He brought his blade up for an overhead swing, cutting straight down vertically!

Sinafay barely had time to cocoon herself within a barrier of Light. Argonas’ sword crashed into it, causing sparks to fly and crackle in a near blinding light show as the holy forces fought against each other. The Lightbound woman grit her teeth as the barrier cracked under the pressure of the Vindicator’s strength. She was out of practice, and her former mentor’s conviction was too strong. She knew she was only delaying the inevitable, but she would fight to the bitter end.

And that end grew closer as the barrier shattered. She tried to roll to the side but the blade found purchase in her side, forcing a cry out of her as blue blood oozed out of the wound. She reached out, hands grabbing the Vindicator’s wrists as her hooves kicked out at his face in a final act of defiance.

Argonas stumbled back, but not far. Swift and firm as the kick was, there was an insurmountable difference in stature between the two Vindicators. His face immediately began to swell up at the impact point of Sinafay’s hoof, but that only seemed to infuriate him more. The grinding of his plate gauntlet along the hilt of his crystalline blade rang out sharply as he shifted his grip. He took the sword in his hands, and lined up the piercing point with his former pupil’s chest.

“Through me, the Light’s justice will be served! The mistakes I made in judging the true measures of your character will at long last be corrected!”

He raised his blade, eyes narrowing as he started to bring it down to finish his grim task-- when suddenly a pair of arms wrapped tensely around his waist! From behind him, Grakkar took hold of the Vindicator and heaved him upward and over himself with a mighty roar! The Draenei was caught off-guard, and thrown over onto his back as Grakkar arched and kicked back and away from Sinafay. Argonas came crashing down on his shoulders and the back of his head, driving his chin into his chest plate as the rest of his heavy plated body rolled over the top of him! He was stunned! The wind knocked from him entirely as Grakkar threw him back!

“Get away from my mate, you honorless piece of clefthoof shit!” the Warsong shouted, snarling at Argonas.

He gave little time for the abettor to recover, rushing in to keep up the pressure. As Argonas rolled over and brought himself up to his hands and knees, Grakkar ran up and took hold of his head. Lining it up, he carried his momentum and slammed his knee into the Draenei’s crest! 

*CRACK* 

Argonas rolled over from both the pain, and the force of the impact to his face! But the assault didn’t end there. Grakkar trudged up alongside the writhing and bewildered Draenei. He knelt down scooping up a small handful of dirt to toss into the Vindicator’s face! Then, he just started punching! Once, again, three times! He bloodied his fist against the Draenei’s plated crest, pounding his face over and over with unyielding fury! 

Argonas did what he could to protect himself, but he couldn’t see his assaulter, much less block the barrage of punches! He’d dropped his sword, and couldn’t afford to reach out and feel for it nearby. That would only give the Orc more openings! Instead, he curled in, doing his best to cover his face with one arm as he swatted at Grakkar blindly with the other in hopes of deflecting or softening the next blow coming his way. One wild swipe caught hold of something - the Orc’s forearm. Success! With all his might, he ripped the Orc’s arm towards him, counter attacking with a punch of his own. He felt his plated fist connect, knocking the Orc back and away from him. Only for a moment… but the moment was all he needed.

Bringing his hooves back beneath him, Argonas stood up and quickly brushed the dirt and blood from his face. His luminous eyes set onto Grakkar, who also recuperated from their exchange of blows. For a moment, the two stared one another down.

“The Light… judges you too, Orc filth!” Argonas grunted.

“Fuck your Light!” Grakkar shot back, snarling.

With a furious shout, the Orc rushed at Argonas yet again. The Draenei took up a defensive stance, readying himself as Grakkar drew near. He knew he couldn’t match the Orc’s agility; their fight in Kun-Lai had taught him that, well enough. Instead he dug in his hooves, tail swaying limber behind him to keep his balance. As the Orc took his swing, Argonas brought his forearms up to block the incoming blow. Then the next. Teeth grit as he held firm his position, Argonas bided the Orc’s assault like a statue! He was ready for him, this time. Ready and waiting for his opening. His hands and arms felt raw, jarred and pulsing from the plate gauntlets reverberating each repeated strike. But he held his ground.

Grakkar raged on, throwing punch after punch in the hopes of landing one or two good blows, enough to throw his opponent off of the defensive. But the Vindicator was stoic! Unyielding! The old Orc already felt fatigue setting in. How long had it been since he had a good fight like this? Since settling down with Sinafay, and their young daughter Neelah, he hadn’t been in too many scrapes. His rustiness was taxing him now, exacting the toll of his inactivity. His blows began to slow, punches falling slower and softer against the same blood-smeared plate gloves the Draenei used to defend himself. His knuckles were pulp, each screaming a searing pain from crashing into the inexorable metal again and again. He rotated in a kick to mix it up, hoping to knock the Draenei over, but he might as well have kicked a boulder. One more punch. Another. Until finally the futility of it drained Grakkar entirely. He staggered back, growling.

And that was Argonas’ opening.

The blast of Light illuminated the farmstead, bright as high noon for only a split second. Argonas’ retributive burst was more than enough to knock the weary Orc over. The Vindicator charged, hoofbeats hastened by the Light’s gift to surge the mass of muscle and steel towards Grakkar. He’d barely managed to keep his balance, only for Argonas to slam into him like a rampaging elekk. The Orc felt his body tossed back, and yet he didn’t go far. Argonas gripped him tightly to keep him from sailing too far away from the impact, instead simply slamming him into the ground before him. The Orc’s pained howl was a symphony to the Vindicator. Retribution for so much pain that not only this Orc caused him personally, but all Orcs caused his people! Quickly, he followed up by stomping his hoof into the vile creature’s chest! Still surging with the Light, his plated hoof shoe seared into Grakkar’s flesh, causing him to writhe and moan in pain!

“You have caused enough trouble!” Argonas declared, pressing his hoof down harder. “And now, you will cause no more!”

Grakkar struggled, gripping the Draenei’s leg as he gave all his might to try and push back, but not only did the Draenei significantly outmatch his strength, his plated form weighed a ton! It took all the Orc’s might just to keep the hoof at bay! Even then, he felt his ribs bending and cracking, the hoof melting his skin. It became hard to breath, his cries of agony turning to harsh and hoarse gasps as Argonas pressed harder. He’d been in enough fights to know when he’d lost. And this… this was it. This was the end. 

His eyes widened at the realization, his expression of anger and rage replaced by one of fear. Despair. He had failed. He couldn’t protect his mate. His daughter. After everything he’d done, all the effort and sacrifice he’d made to protect Sinafay, to free her from bondage on Draenor… only for her to die here at the hands of another Light-crazed zealot. He strained a little harder, but nothing he could do would be enough to overpower Argonas. But he couldn’t give up. He wouldn’t! He turned his head, looking over towards the workshop where Sinafay was. He couldn’t see her… and that hurt all the more, unable to lay eyes on his mate one final time. His strength began to wane.

“I’m… sorry…” Grakkar grunted, as his grip finally slipped.

*CRUNCH*

~*~

TO BE CONTINUED...

[grakkar-gorefang]

The Challenge

((Co-written with @kidcatgemini​. Follows her story here. ))

Step by step, large-yet-nimble footsteps ascended the stairway. Grakkar traveled light, and quick, making his way towards the Vale of Eternal Blossoms. He’d only heard of it, but everyone told him it was a beautiful and serene place. A place for relaxation. For lovers to connect on a deeper level. A place he had intended to bring Sinafay… All this only upset him more, when he found out where she was. She’d come here - not alone, but with Argonas. The father of the child she carried… and the one who stole her away from him.

Tracking them wasn’t easy, admittedly - especially across continents. But the orc had sniffed out more elusive prey than a pair of Draenei Vindicators many times before. It saddened him to leave Kronk behind on such and adventure; he wanted to take him, too, to the wondrous Pandaria of which he’d heard so many times. But the big lug would only slow him down, and time was of the essence. Leaving him in Aelissah’s care, as he had many times before, made sense. She didn’t have a connection with the beast, but he trusted her to take good care of him in his absence. 

The stairs led to a path. The path led to a river. And the river led into a tunnel. It seemed to be the only way to get to Kun-Lai from here. And from Kun-Lai, he could get to the Vale of Eternal Blossoms. To Sinafay.

The orc followed the river as it ran deeper into the cavern. His eyes twinkled in the low light - he had no issues seeing, even in darkness. Navigating the cavern would be a breeze--

He ducked down behind a rock, hearing steps from up ahead. Slowly and silently, he pulled the axe from his back. Breathing controlled and quiet, yet his heart raced. He wouldn’t say aloud, but a fear came over him - he knew not exactly what dangers lurked in Pandaria. And in dark places like this, the most dangerous of creatures tended to dwell… Fear, yes. Fear and excitement. He peered around the rock subtly, to try and catch a glimpse of what approached…

Hoofsteps echoed through the tunnel. Sinafay’s elven guide had left her at the entrance with a few confusing directions, before using some form of arcane teleportation device. It seemed the rogue had other business to attend to...

Unfortunately, Sinafay didn’t have the best sense of direction. As far as she could tell, the path hadn’t split yet. Her glowing golden gaze looked around the cave warily as she made her way along the path. She didn’t know the area; didn’t know what dangers lurked. 

She’d left the Vale with only the clothes on her back; a lovely white maternity shirt and purple gold trimmed pants. She’d left her armor and weapon behind. It would have made Argonas question where she was going, and she couldn’t have him following her to Grakkar. Despite this, she didn’t show fear, determined to talk her Orc lover out of this crazy mak’gora idea.

“--Sina!”

Grakkar gasped, rising from behind his cover immediately. He’d recognize that divine form anywhere! … even if it was a little more bloated than last he laid eyes on it. Nonetheless, her shimmering Light-rune tattoos along her arms, and those matching illuminated eyes… the silhouette of her horns and hair… and as she grew close enough, he recognized her divine face! Oh, it had been too long! He was surprised he didn’t recognize her by the cadence of her steps, to be honest - but pregnancy altered her gait as well.

“Sina! I was coming to find you!” he declared, as he approached

Conveniently leaving out the other reason he’d come this far.

Sinafay’s reaction was anything but planned. She’d been set on getting straight to the subject, but the sight of him changed all that. The old Orc hadn’t changed at all. Grey mohawk hair tied back, leathered tattooed and scarred skin, muscular frame showed off by what little armor he wore beneath that tabard…

She closed the distance between them and wrapped her arms around him tightly, choking back a sob.

“Grakkar!” Happy tears ran down her cheeks as she embraced him, “Light! I… I missed you so much!”

The subject of the mak’gora could wait. She’d intercepted him from getting to Argonas and that was all that mattered for the moment. Her anger and sadness melted away in his arms.

She pulled back only to gaze lovingly into his eyes, bringing a gentle hand to rest against his cheek.

“How are you?”

“Hmph! Foolish!” he grumbled in response, lips curled downwards at the corners. “So foolish to run from this. From you!”

Grakkar pulled Sinafay in for another intimate hug. He had wasted so much time thanks to his brash overreaction. Moments he’d never get back. It was all he could do to take them as he could, in interactions like this. He buried his face in her neck, humming contently at being back in her arms once more. Her scent filled him with bliss. He took his fill of it before releasing the second embrace, and looking upon her once again - that regret and sorrow still evident in his eyes.

“Forgive me, my love. I was… angry. Upset!” he explained. “You had it right; I told you I would never leave you… and I don’t intend to ever again. I…”

He brought a hand up to cup the Vindicator’s face, only now managing to smile as his eyes got lost in hers.

“I love you so much.”

“Oh, Grakkar! I love you too!”

She sealed the words with a kiss, rekindling that fire they’d shared over their many years together. Her heart soared, so happy to hear the words he spoke. She could see the regret in his eyes. His words were sincere. How many times had she dreamed of him returning to her like this, admitting to the mistake he made in his upset and shocked state. 

A swift kick from the baby in her belly served as a proper reminder at what she was dealing with. Argonas would most certainly come looking for her once he’d realized she’d run off. She had to get Grakkar away from here. She reluctantly broke the kiss, taking Grakkar’s hand in hers and attempting to lead him back the way they came.

“Come, My Love. Let us leave this place.”

Grakkar didn’t budge, despite being tugged at. His smiling face turned to a frown once more - this time, steely and determined.

“... No.” he grunted. “Not yet.”

His eyes turned forward in the tunnel, towards Kun-Lai. Finding Sinafay here was fortunate. But he knew she didn’t come alone. He knew Argonas was around here somewhere, too. Exhaling a growl of a sigh, he looked to Sinafay once more. 

“I came here for another reason, Sina.” he stated, plainly. “To challenge the father of that child you carry. To challenge Argonas to mak’gora.”

Sinafay’s hands immediately reached for his arm, grabbing and holding on tightly.

“You don’t need to do that,” she frowned, now that the subject could no longer be avoided, “You have nothing to prove. To me. To anyone! I am your mate, now and forever. This baby will not change that. A mak’gora won’t solve anything!”

“--Of course it will!” he grunted back. “A fight to the death is the only way!”

He wasn’t surprised; as much as Sinafay had done for the orcish people, there were aspects of the culture he felt she didn’t fully understand. The mak’gora was one of them. The Draenei had nothing with which it could compare… no duels of honor, no fighting to the death. Some called such practices barbaric, but they failed to realize the significance of the time-honored ceremony. Once again, his hand reached up to cup Sinafay’s face. His eyes met hers, stern and finite.

“You didn’t want this child with him, right? You trusted him to be honorable… and he broke that trust with his carelessness! He has to answer for that.” he declared. “You don’t love him, right? If you don’t love him… you shouldn’t be opposed to me killing him, so we can be together - free entirely from his influence.”

Grakkar searched Sinafay’s face, lips pressed thin.

“The challenge is due.”

Sinafay huffed, bringing a hand up to slap him across the face. 

“Like Fel it is!” She cried, “I do not love him, but he is one of the VERY few friends that I have on this world!”

Hands balled into fists as her anger swelled. In truth, she understood well the significance of the mak’gora in Orcish culture. But she couldn’t understand why it was required in this situation. Argonas didn’t even love her! It was an unnecessary bloodshed!

“This child was my mistake! Not his! I go with you willingly, but you leave him be!”

The slap earned a snarl from Grakkar. He took hold of Sinafay’s arms, holding tight to keep her from lashing out at him again. Clearly, she was upset. He expected that she might be, given the circumstances - but that didn’t make the slap any more surprising in the moment! 

“Listen to me! I know he’s your friend; clearly! But what makes you think he won’t come after you? After the child? Especially if you keep him as a friend?” he pressed, frowning deeply. “There’s only one way to be sure he--”

“UNHAND HER!”

A deep, commanding voice echoed through the tunnel. The heavy hoofsteps of another Draenei coming down from Kun-Lai resonated in steady marching cadence. It was an imposing figure; Grakkar knew Argonas was a Vindicator, like Sinafay… but he didn’t quite expect him to be so large. He released Sinafay, and interposed between the two of them.

“You must be Argonas.” he snarled, speaking in Draenic. “I’ve heard a lot about you.”

Argonas narrowed his gaze - who was this Orc? How did he know his name? He looked to Sinafay, as if for an explanation; confused further as she hadn’t turned to flee from the assailant, or bash him over the head when he turned his back to her. 

“... What is this?” he growled. “Sina?”

She opened her mouth to say something… anything! But nothing came to mind. Her eyes were wide, panic evident as she looked from Argonas to Grakkar and back. She hadn’t expected Argonas to discover her disappearance so soon!

While Grakkar was fully aware of Argonas and Sinafay’s relationship, it wasn’t the case the other way around. Sinafay had told Argonas nothing of her Orc lover, out of fear of losing his friendship.

“Argo! You have to leave, now! Please!” was all she could utter. 

Her eyes pleaded to him, an obvious fear behind her golden gaze. She reached forward, grabbing hold of the Orc’s arm tightly, her desperate tone still evident as she switched to Orcish.

“Grakkar! Don’t!”

Something wasn’t right. Argonas didn’t know what it was… but this Orc was clearly exerting some kind of sway over Sinafay. A mind control spell? Then why would she oppose him? Blackmail, perhaps? What could he possibly have that would influence her so? His brow furrowed all the deeper at the wave of questions pouring through his mind.

Grakkar, inversely, felt no confusion at all. Only determination. He shrugged Sinafay off, seemingly deaf to her pleas for him to back off, and stepped forward. The initial intimidation began to wane, as his adrenaline increased. A true challenge! A towering Draenei to oppose, to fight and kill - all for Sinafay! This was the stuff of Orcish legends!

“Vindicator Argonas!” he called him out. “I challenge you to mak’gora! A duel to the death! Muster what honor you have to meet this challenge, or flee with your tail between your legs like a cowardly, sniveling pup!”

Argonas scoffed! He knew of the Orcish tradition of mak’gora. An uncivilized and brutish practice, from all he’d heard about it. He didn’t know why this Orc was challenging him to such a thing. He was definitely not an Orc! He glanced once more to Sinafay, hoping for any manner of clarification… but all he could read was that odd panic in her expression. She shook her head, wanted him to run… to defer to this Orc for whatever reason. Grakkar didn’t look like much to Argonas. Strong, sure. But aged. Then again, few Orcs reached such a stage of life without good reason. 

Did she really think this Orc was a threat to him?

He shook his head - that didn’t matter. Clearly she was in duress of some kind. Whatever it was this Orc was lording over her, he couldn’t abide it a moment longer! 

“Hmph! You chose your opponent poorly this day, you filthy Orc!” he shouted back. “Come forth and be judged by the Light!”

Sinafay closed her eyes, and her shoulders slumped; defeated. She could see she couldn’t stop this now. Without another word from anyone - not counting battle cries and aggressive shouts - Grakkar and Argonas charged at one another! 

Argonas’ hoofsteps echoed loudly and sharply as they struck the stone beneath them, each leaving behind a crescent of burning Light in their wake. The Light itself propelled him forth towards his foe! Grakkar didn’t slow a bit - his steps much softer than Argonas’, but no less nimble! He dipped his shoulder low to take the Vindicator down on impact! Instead, the Draenei turned at the last second to meet the Orc’s collision. The two slammed together, both grunting. Grakkar was much more solid than Argonas had expected… but not by much! He reached out to grab the Orc’s shoulder, reeling back his fist to deliver a punch!

CRACK!

The blow landed unexpectedly, square to Grakkar’s face. He stumbled back… as far as he could still being held by the shoulder. Argonas didn’t relent, either - immediately he reeled his arm back to throw another punch. Grakkar snapped back to quickly enough to bring his own arms up across one another to meet the would-be blow before his face took any more punishment. It was like being smashed in the face with a rock - nothing he was in any hurry to feel again! As he blocked the second punch, his hands turned quickly to grip the Vindicator’s arm. He tugged it firmly, bringing his knee up to slam into Argonas’ gut as a retaliation! He would’ve landed it too, if Draenei didn’t have tails! He cursed under his breath - he should’ve expected it, given all his time ‘familiarizing’ himself with Sinafay’s Draenic anatomy… Argonas’ tail swung in between Grakkar’s knee and his abdomen, slowing and buffering the blow to little more than a nudge. The Draenei scoffed, ripping his arm from Grakkar’s grip and dropping an elbow to smash the Orc a second time. 

“--Oof!” Grakkar yelped, staggering back again.

The stagger went further than planned, as Argonas not only released his grip, but shoved the Orc away from him. He snarled.

“Pathetic!” he boasted! “You seem to know me, Orc! Not well enough to realize you are grossly outmatched! Too bad, for you!”

Grakkar stabilized, keeping upright despite the beating he’d taken. He wiped the blood from his lips and nose using his forearm, furious gaze keeping affixed to Argonas. He growled, baring his teeth like a rabid wolf.

“I know you well enough, alright.” he spit a glob of blood from his mouth. “A warrior, dedicated to protecting his people. Admirable… admirable enough to catch the interest and affections of my beloved Sinafay.”

“Grakkar! ENOUGH!” Sinafay screamed from the sidelines, hands balled into fists.

Argonas’ prideful grin vanished in an instant - did he say ‘beloved’? His luminous eyes shot wide, in more confusion… and horror. He looked to Sinafay again, praying silently this was some manner of joke, or that perhaps he’d misheard. This encounter grew more and more strange by the second.

“And yet you reward her friendship with betrayal!” Grakkar continued, snarling. “She sought comfort with you. And you repaid her with an unwanted burden! Your baby!”

He pointed back - vaguely - at where Sinafay stood, emphasizing his point as he berated Argonas. He was getting worked up further - adrenaline pumping through his veins quickly and aggressively. The taste of blood in his mouth fueled it further… and calling Argonas out on taking more than he was offered drove it to a raging peak. He let loose a roar that shook the cavern, before charging for Argonas once more!

Argonas scoffed - he readied himself once more for the impact of Grakkar slamming into him as before. At least, what minor impact it was. Stronger than expected, certainly. But Argonas was unmoved before… and expected he’d be unmoved again. But such pride comes before the fall; As Argonas braced himself for the collision, Grakkar threw his shoulder back, and his legs forward. He shifted into a slide, iron-trimmed boots clashing into Argonas’ forward shin and knee joint with a sickening sound! Argonas toppled forward, still poised to resist ahead on impact. He howled in pain; there was no way that cracking sound wasn’t his bone breaking from the force of the blow!

Grakkar kept set on the Vindicator, rolling over and hopping up nimbly while Argonas writhed. He leapt up, and dropped in on his prey, driving an elbow into the Draenei’s back. He straddled his target, gripping his head to slam his face into the stone ground. Once. Twice. Three times, each leaving Argonas’ face more bloodied than the last. Argonas reached back to try and take hold of the Orc and throw him off - to no avail. He took a fourth and fifth face slam as Grakkar continued his assault!

Sinafay began to pace as she watched the fight intensely. She wanted to interfere, wanted to stop this senseless battle. But the two warriors were locked in, and she knew she wouldn’t be forgiven if she were to interfere. Tears of frustration stung her eyes. Despite being the one they were fighting over, she’d never felt more invisible!

Finally, Argonas brought his arms beneath him, and thrusted upwards. He half-spun mid-air to bring himself over Grakkar, who held tightly to the Draenei - a poor choice. Grakkar was stunned, sandwiched between Argonas’ muscular back and the cold unforgiving ground. He held firm, throwing an arm around the Vindicator’s front. His forearm tucked up against Argonas’ throat. He tugged hard, gripping his wrist with his free hand to pull even harder in an attempt to choke out his opponent! 

Argonas’ luminous eyes began to roll back, light within them dimming as the Orc strained beneath him. He could feel the oxygen deprivation causing his mind to slow. Vision blurred, heart rate skyrocketing. He tugged at the Orc’s arm to try and pry it free from his neck, to no avail. His tail writhed, legs flailing - the latter was met with excruciating pain as he made the break in his joint worse with every kick. That sharp pain was so stark and sobering, it kept him from going out completely, at least. Much to Grakkar’s dismay. He should’ve passed out by now! It wasn’t easy to strain keeping the stranglehold while resisting being crushed beneath the flailing Draenei. Ancestors, he was dense! If he didn’t know any better, Grakkar would think he was made of stone!

“STOP!”

This looked like the end! Sinafay took a few running steps in-- but then stopped as Argonas threw his head forward - then back - slamming the back of his head into Grakkar’s face! The Orc’s grip loosened, as Argonas flung himself over and off of him. The Vindicator gasped, drawing in air after what felt like hours. Grakkar held his face, stemming the blood which now poured out of his nose. He sat up quickly to keep from drowning in his own nosebleed. It resulted in a brief pause in the fighting, while the two recuperated. But the pause didn’t last long. 

Grakkar rose to go after Argonas once more - opening by throwing a handful of loose rocks in the Vindicator’s eyes! Blinded for the moment, Argonas could do little to resist as Grakkar gripped his crest and slammed his knee into the Draenei’s face. A second landed as well, before Argonas reached forth to take hold of the Orc’s leg to intercept the third attempt. Still unable to see, however, it was all he could to do throw the Orc off of him. Grakkar stumbled back, but kept his footing. Argonas took the moment to stand - as well as he could, leg damaged as it was. He wrapped his tail tightly about his knee joint to keep pressure on the fracture, enabling him to stand for the moment. He glared at Grakkar… runic scars on his body illuminating.

“--Hmph!” Grakkar scoffed! “Further proof of your lack of honor! You call on your Light powers to help you win this mak’gora? Pathetic!”

“I could not care less for your barbaric customs, Orc!” Argonas shot back - the runes on his body fading nonetheless. “But I need not waste the Naaru’s gift in defeating you!”

The Orc let out another roar, before rushing at Argonas again. He threw a punch as soon as he came close enough, slamming his fist into the Draenei’s chest. Argonas retaliated with a hook of his own, smashing into Grakkar’s side. They traded blows, one after the other in an impromptu boxing match. It was a series of body blows, with an occasional swing at the face. Most of them were dodged or blocked, once the two combatants began to read one another’s moves better. Finally, Argonas clipped Grakkar’s jaw, sending him staggering back once more. The Draenei pressed, diving into the Orc to tackle him to the ground… and pin him.

The Orc continued swinging, throwing closed fists into Argonas’ sides to try and pummel the Draenei off from atop him. He hit a few against the Draenei’s injured leg, making Argonas howl in agony every time. But enough was enough. The Vindicator would end this now. One hand gripped the Orc’s throat tightly, the other clutching the side of Grakkar’s head. He slammed Grakkar’s head back, snarling.

“Go meet your ancestors, Orc filth! And tell them who sent you!”

Argonas’ hands clenched tighter - crushing Grakkar’s throat closed, as a thumb gouged into his eye. Grakkar couldn’t even scream with his windpipe closed off, despite the agonizing pain shooting through his body! He clawed at Argonas, fingernails scraping lightly - harmlessly - along Argonas’ arms and sides. Heels shuffled against the cold ground as he kicked helplessly. 

“--S-S-Sina…” he managed to wheeze, with what should’ve been his final breath.

“NO!”

A blinding flash of Light shot out and struck Argonas in the shoulder, knocking him clear off of Grakkar. Sinafay ran in as Grakkar coughed, wheezing as he drew air back into his lungs. She placed herself between the two, wrapping her arms protectively around the Orc. Light still danced around her form, further stimulated by her tempestuous emotions. 

“He saved my life,” she finally explained, “He rescued me from Draenor!”

She turned her head to look at Argonas, fresh tears streaming down her cheeks.

“The fight is over… you’ve won,” she managed, “But I won’t let you kill him.”

Argonas stared in awe - shocked, and further confounded by everything that had happened. He had won… he thought. The fight should’ve ended with the satisfying crunch of another Orc’s skull in his hands… and instead it ended with Sinafay - his friend, his confidant - cradling the filthy creature like a child!

His mind raced, questions upon questions flooding his thoughts - too many to speak at once. So many, the pain in his leg was forgotten for the moment. Just as well; he made no effort to stand. Instead, he simply stared. Hurt, confused, angry. The pieces slowly began to fall into place, once by one, as this bizarre and frustrating exchange played out again in his mind’s eye. “He saved my life…” “my beloved Sinafay…” It was too terrible to believe, yet nothing spoke contrary to it.

“N-No…” Grakkar wheezed, finally catching his breath. 

His eye was bruised, swollen shut. His neck, too, had already started to swell. Coughing was hoarse and violent, but he managed to sit up. His arm wrapped around Sinafay, holding her for support. He shook his head, frowning deeply.

“He… has to finish it.” he whispered. “The mak’gora… does not end until one of us is dead.”

“To the Nether with your backwards customs!” Argonas shouted, seething in anger - it was easier to lash out at the Orc than Sinafay for now, it seemed. “Be grateful she stopped me when she did, lest I would have uglied you up beyond what even another Orc would recognize!”

He spit derisively, a globule of blue blood. Disgusted. Disgusted with this Orc, this situation… and Sinafay, too. He wore it on his face, visible well enough even beneath the bruising and discoloration. With a strained grunt, he brought his legs back underneath him, hurriedly standing. A groan as pressure set on his busted leg. Wrapping his tail around the joint as before staved off some of it, bracing it to operate semi-functionally. But even that hurt less than this devastating revelation.

“Tell me I am mistaken, Sinafay.” he huffed, allotting a final chance - a hope - he was reading this all entirely wrong. “Tell me this is not your lover. Your Orcish lover!”

She was silent for a moment. Only the words were missing, really; the way she looked at Grakkar, the way her hand cupped the side of his bruised and bloodied face, the way her tail curved in around him. There was nothing platonic about it.

Sinafay had feared this moment. Dreaded it, even. She looked at Argonas, his disgust conveying exactly the reaction she’d expected. In a way, she felt justified, knowing he would have never understood, even if she had told him from the beginning. But in another, she was disappointed and hurt. Part of her had hoped… foolishly, that he’d be able to accept the fact that things happened differently in her timeline.

“We’ve been mates for years on Draenor,” she admitted, “And we still are.”

Despite Argonas’ obvious disgust and anger at her, she spoke the words clearly, unapologetic. He’d already figured it out. There was nothing left to hide. She met his gaze steadily.

“I love him.”

It wasn’t nearly as shocking for him to hear as Argonas expected. Then again, he knew it was true. He had expected those words to pour forth from her mouth, now that he’d come to learn it all for himself. He glanced between her and the Orc - the disgusting creature that had somehow earned her love - with a gnarled, furrowed brow. 

“... So be it.”

There was little else to say. Little else to do. Carefully he turned, and began to pace away. He winced audibly with every step of his broken leg, clearly favoring it as he left the two behind him. He didn’t bother looking back.

Grakkar coughed again, violent and coarse, as he clutched Sinafay. He, too, frowned, as he peered at Argonas through his remaining good eye. He shook his head.

“Th-The… mak’gora…” he wheezed.

It was far too late for that, now. He collapsed back in resignation, turning his eye to Sinafay.

“I’m… sorry.”

“Idiot.”

Sinafay sighed, turning her full attention to Grakkar now that Argonas has left. There had been no point in calling to him. She brought a hand through his hair, the Light energy that surrounded her dying down considerably as she calmed down.

“It is what it is,” she said, “But you get to let me heal you for that one.”

Despite his hatred towards the Light, he was in terrible shape. She kept one arm around him as the other began to glow. She started over his throat, to ease the worst of the damage Argonas’ hand had caused, then helped the swelling around his eye. 

“I know I should not have interrupted,” she admitted as she began scanning his body for further damage, “But I refuse to live in a world that you are not part of. You are not allowed to die. Not like this.”

Grakkar’s frown softened. Due in part to the swelling reducing as the Light Sinafay channeled through him soothed his bruises. But also at her words; he knew the sentiment well. He’d felt it before, when he was first whisked away to Azeroth, leaving her behind. Living here meant nothing without her at his side. His hand reached up atop hers, despite how it glowed with the Light. He didn’t care. That didn’t matter now. Only she did.

“You broke tradition to save me before.” he smiled, lightly. “I can break it now, to stay with you.”

“I do not need tradition. All I need is you.”

She rested her crest gently against his forehead, closing her eyes as her hand hovered over his rib cage. There were a number of broken ribs due to the crushing treatment he’d received. Her Light mending couldn’t heal him completely, but it served well to accelerate the progress and dull the worst of the pain. Overall, she expected Grakkar would recover well enough. Her channeling finally ceased, and she allowed herself to relax. 

Sinafay was sad about Argonas. She had never meant for him to be hurt, and she feared losing his friendship completely over this. Telling him earlier would have been preferable, but with the faction war only now coming to an end, exposing her relationship with Grakkar was a risk she hadn’t been able to take. 

She looked over her shoulder, where the Vindicator had limped off, wishing she’d had a chance to mend his wounds as well. The baby stirred in her belly, a reminder that she still carried his child. She’d have to go check on him later, once he’d had a bit of time to process and brood. Hopefully, he’d be receptive, despite all this.

For now, though, Sinafay turned her full attention to Grakkar.

“The Vale is beautiful. I cannot think of a better place for you to recover. Once you are well, we will begin looking for a place to live together, yes?”

Despite the dramatic and upsetting altercation, she couldn’t help but feel a glimmer of excitement. After all the years of waiting and suffering, they could finally openly be together.

She tilted her head and pressed her lips to his.

“I love you.”

“I know,” he whispered, smiling. “And I love you too.”

It wasn’t the start he’d envisioned for their vacation to Pandaria together… but he definitely needed some rest and relaxation now.

[avehi-the-adamant]

Into the Breach - Finale

| Avehi’s Prelude | Argonas’ Prelude | Pt. I | Pt. II | Pt. III | Pt. IV | 

Quickly as she could, Avehi slipped behind a pillar. The Naga responded quickly, that was for sure! The one that escaped must have called reinforcements in to sweep the ruins and finish her and Argonas off. She scowled; if Argonas had managed to finish off that one that escaped, this wouldn’t have happened! She peeked around from the pillar… but saw nothing. A look closer would give away her position, and she wasn’t sure how many there were. Had they already gotten Argonas? Or by storming off, had he inadvertently evaded them? It didn’t matter - she could take them. She could take them all.

Silently, she slipped her hammer down from her back into her waiting hands as the steps grew closer and-- ‘Steps?’ she realized. Naga didn’t walk. They slithered! This didn’t sound like any naga at all. In fact, it sounded a lot like hoofsteps. Too light to be Argonas’, however. Could it be? 

‘...Mierne?’

There was only one way to know for certain. Avehi quietly peered out from behind the pillar once more, to see the intruder. It wasn’t a Naga, but… it wasn’t Mierne either. 

“--Sina?”

Sure enough, by some coincidence, Sinafay had wandered upon her! The two blinked at one another, surprised and confused to see each other in such a place! 

"Avehi?"

“What are you doing down here?” the Death Knight asked, as she stepped down from the ledge and sheathed her hammer.

Sinafay shook her head, seemingly exhausted from simply recalling all that had transpired! She let out a light sigh.

“Well... “ she shrugged. “I was on a boat and a hole opened up in the ocean so…”

"--Aah... you were on that ship? Tch..." Avehi frowned. “Not ideal... Glad you're okay, at least.”

Unsurprising - Sinafay had been working with the Seventh Legion a while now. But to bump into her here and now, immediately following that heated conversation with Argonas was… alarming. Sinafay nodded, seeming relieved to see another familiar face in such a dour place.

"Indeed. This was an unexpected detour.” she understated. “Sylaess is here too, but... I was unaware you were on the ship as well."

“I wasn’t.” Avehi shook her head. “I had High Vindicator Khanaros beam me down here."

Her expression curdled, unable to help but morph into a scowl.

“The Naga... they took Mierne.”

Sinafay’s luminous eyes widened a bit… as her brow raised both to compensate widening eyes, and in some small measure of confusion. She couldn’t quite place the name…

"Mierne... who is that again?"

The Death Knight scoffed a bit. 

“My friend. My shaman friend, remember?” she snapped, as if it should have been obvious! “I know I've talked about her to you!”

“Oh! The one Argo slept with?” Sinafay replied.

‘Sure. That she remembers…’ Avehi thought to herself.

“The very one.” Avehi said aloud. “--Aah, speaking of, he's down here too.”

“Oh?” Sinafay replied, seeming both excited… and worried. 

A part of why she had embarked on a Seventh Legion mission was to distance herself from Argonas a bit, and distract herself from the pregnancy. It came as a surprise, to be sure - for both of them. She simply needed some time to process it, grow accustomed to it… and accept it. Especially after…

"He's scouting ahead around here, somewhere." Avehi added, breaking Sinafay’s train of thought. 

A welcome deviation, all the same. Sinafay didn’t want to dwell on it too long. Especially in a place like this.She nodded, looking off into the distance. 

"Here to rescue her as well, I assume?" she inquired.

“At the High Vindicator's direction.” Avehi all but scoffed, shaking her head. “Personally, I don't need him. He's slowing me down."

“You will think differently when the naga begin to swarm.”

“Perhaps so.” Avehi shrugged, joining Sinafay in gazing out across the alien landscape. “I’m tearing down that keep over there brick by brick either way.”

Sinafay gave Avehi a tired grin. The Death Knight’s arrogance was amusing, in a way. She wondered if Argonas was sent along with Avehi to make sure she didn’t get herself killed. Again.

"He is also good at assuring you will not rush into situations blindly."

“Hmph!” Avehi scoffed! “You sure about that? He seems to have rushed into this little situation blindly…”

She motioned to Sinafay - specifically, her midsection. It wasn’t too hard to realize to what she was referring - a topic Sinafay wasn’t keen on discussing. Her expression changed immediately to one of hurt. She turned, stepping closer to a pillar and leaning against it, tail dragging behind her.

"That was my fault.” she said, somberly. “He was taking precautions. I was not."

“Clearly neither of you were.” Avehi retorted, skeptically.

“He was taking herbal tea.”

"If he were taking the tea, you wouldn't be pregnant. Isn't that the point of the tea?”

“Nothing is one hundred percent effective.” Sinafay sighed, knowing that well, now. “Perhaps if we both had been taking it, but…”

"--Now you're trapped down here, carrying his baby…” Avehi interrupted. “I guess he's slowing both of us down, in different ways.This works out, though. When he sees you, he'll come stay with you down here, and I can press on with finding Mierne.”

"Are you done?" Sinafay asked, shooting Avehi a nasty look.

“--Settle down, I'm joking.” Avehi replied with a light shrug. “... Sort of.”

“Are you?”

“Yes, yes…” the Death Knight waved a hand - apparently she’d irked her friend. “He's actually keeping pace with me pretty well, for a living person."

Sinafay's tail flickered, before she relaxed slightly. She went back to looking out over the terrace.

"You were paired up for a reason.” she counseled. “Whether you like each other or not, you need to work together to help rescue your friend."

Avehi sighed - Sinafay was right. The High Vindicator didn’t know Argonas had any personal connection to Mierne. He selected him to join Avehi on this important mission all the same. She knew Khanaros wasn’t a fool. Even in an emotionally charged situation like this, she knew he had the tactical details in the forefront of his mind. Argonas was clearly a good pick for this. And as much as she hated admitting it… it was never a bad idea to have back-up.

"... Maybe.” she admitted, spitting out the word as if she wished to keep it in her mouth forever. “I suppose it wouldn't be bad, having someone watch my back. Just in case? I mean… it didn't do his wife any good on Argus, but…”

Avehi shrugged. 

"I'm already dead."

Sinafay sighed. Heavily. That subject was touchy as well, but… Avehi wasn’t exactly wrong. She opted to ignore the comment. 

“What's the situation down here, Alliance-wise? They have a base set up, I presume?” Avehi glanced to Sinafay, inquisitively changing the subject. "Or are you and Sylaess the only ones who made it?"

“There are ruins to the southwest of the maw. Survivors are taking care of injured and gathering what supplies they can salvage.” Sinafay reported. “We have allies.... fish-like people. I forget what it is they are called. But they were battling the naga before we arrived.”

“Mm. 'The enemy of my enemy...'” Avehi nodded once, letting the quote trail off. “Argonas and I should stop by, I suppose. He'll need rest, at some point."

“A good place to recharge for certain.” Sinafay agreed. “Those of us who were fortunate enough to come out uninjured were sent out to explore and secure footholds.”

“Makes sense. What are the options for avenues out of here?” The Death Knight followed up, eyes cast to the sky. “Beaming down here from the Vindicaar was a one-way trip. We don't have a return beacon or anything... and we'll need to get Mierne home immediately.”

She clenched her fists.

"No telling what those savage Naga are doing to her..."

“Some of the battle-mages are attempting to create a portal to Boralus.” Sinafay looked to Avehi, brow askew. “...Do you know why your friend was taken? I thought she lived away from all this, on the Isles.”

Avehi hesitated in answering that, going quiet for a moment - oddly stoic, even for her. Her tail flickered once or twice, as she debated confiding in Sinafay. What would she think of her? Her lichfire eyes looked over other Vindicator. Why was she worried? Sinafay was her friend. The type of friend she could tell anything to, honestly and candidly. 

“Did she join the war?” Sinafay began guessing, bridging the awkward silence. “Was she taken from the boat?”

“... Can I tell you a secret, Sister?”

"Who am I going to tell?" Sinafay asked, with a shrug.

"It's my fault."

The Lightforged raised her brow at Avehi.

"How so?"

“Did I... tell you about Nedemus' relic? The one the Ebon Blade is after?”

“I do not believe so.” she shook her head. “...Nedemus is the dog you sleep with, yes?

The worgen I used to sleep with.” Avehi corrected, quickly. “I've found--”

She cut short, before shaking her head. That wasn’t important. 

"... That's another story." she dismissed the thought. “But... this relic... it's empowering, yes? And... he gave it to me, for safe keeping.”

“You gave to Mierne, then?” Sinafay began guessing once more.

“No, no... I…” Avehi frowned, shoulder slumping. “I used it. I went to the Isles... I killed... so many Naga…”

The icy blue flames of her eyes flickered excitedly at the recollection. Despite the repercussions… she enjoyed doing that. Sinafay noticed - her own tail flickered a bit, in concern… but she listened on nonetheless.

“The rest ran away... so I left. I hid the relic, and thought nothing of it.” Avehi continued, before shaking her head. “But they came back. In force."

“Oh.” Sinafay frowned, as she pieced the rest together, slowly. “--Oooh… I see.”

“She... fought them off as well as she could, I'm sure, but…” Avehi nodded slowly, looking out across Nazjatar. “They took her. Down here, somewhere."

“Well…” Sinafay was at a loss for any response - and probably should’ve kept it that way. “At least I know I am not the only one who can fuck things up.”

“--This isn't the same.” Avehi snapped. “Her life is at risk.”

"Bah.” Sinafay smiled, confidently. “I have faith you and Argo can rescue her."

“That…” Avehi's stern expression softened. “... is appreciated, actually. Thank you. So far, I've just been so focused on it, worrying if I'm up to the task. Argonas has been no help with that, either. We're constantly bickering... I don't know what you see in him, frankly.”

She paused a moment, then shrugged. She remembered now.

"Besides his body."

“He is honorable, patient and loyal.” Sinafay said, matter-of-factly. “He is amazing to fight alongside with in battle. A great teacher…”

Her eyes welled up…

"...And he is willing to stay with me through this..."

“Hmph. Of course he is.” the Death Knight huffed. “He loves you.”

“We do not love each other.” Sinafay corrected. “That is for certain. He loves his dead wife. And I…”

Sinafay trailed off, emotions building up. Avehi caught notice of it, and glanced sidelong to her friend - brow askew. 

“You what?"

No words came out… only tears. Sinafay began sobbing heavily, tears glistening in the illumination of her eyes as they streamed down those pale cheekbones of hers. Avehi fidgeted uncomfortably. This was the part of friendships she hated. Even in life, she was never very skilled at comforting people. Except men, in only one or two certain ways, but… that wouldn’t help her here. She stepped closer to Sinafay, and gave a single, gentle tap on her plated pauldron. Nailed it.

“Tch... there, there…” she said, mustering all the caring tone she could. “This is... just hormones, yes? Flaring up your emotions…”

“--I had love! I had it... and and... and he left me!” Sinafay exploded in lamentation.

"What?” Avehi blinked. “What're you talking about?"

Sinafay removed her gauntlets and started wiping the tears from her eyes - a folly task, at this point, as more and more tears streamed down her face.

"On Draenor... we fell in love... on Draenor... and now it is over... and I am alone...." she sobbed. “He... he travelled time and space to come rescue me... brought me here. We were supposed to be together... when the war ended... together in Pandaria... but then he found out about the baby…”

Avehi blinked again! She shook her head, brow furrowed in confusion. Nothing Sinafay said was making sense. She’d never mentioned a lover before. Definitely not one that saved her from captivity.

"Wait... I thought you said some Orc saved you from Dra--" she stopped, as it clicked. “...enor…”

Sinafay winced, sobbing slowing only slightly as she looked up at Avehi with eyes wide. She’d let it slip, inadvertently…

"Please, do not tell Argonas.... do not tell anyone..."

“You're in love... with…” Avehi spoke lowly. “An Orc.”

Sinafay hesitated, but nodded after a moment. It was too late, now.

“... His name is Grakkar.”

Avehi found herself at a loss for words. Of all the things she’d expected to hear, that certainly wasn’t one of them! She remembered in her youth, before the Orcs and Draenei were at odds with one another, a few of her friends would talk about them fondly. It was something of a taboo back then too, of course, but that made it all the more alluring. But even back then, Avehi never saw the appeal. Now… even less so. She had no idea what to say. No idea how to react. Sinafay seriously went from being enamored with a strong and handsome - albeit conceited and arrogant - Draenei Vindicator… to falling in love with some savage orc mongrel? Her lip snarled in disgust, as she shook her head.

“... Gross.”

Sinafay growled. She expected a response like that was possible, but had hoped Avehi would at least have the decency to keep it to herself in a moment like this! She turned and faced Avehi - face contorted into a tear-glazed scowl!

"Can you NOT right now?!"

“--I'm sorry! I find out my friend is in love with an orc, and I'm not allowed to comment?” the Death Knight raised her hands, defensively. 

She shook her head, and sighed - Again, Sinafay was right. This wasn’t the time. She had disclosed something personal to her, just as she’d done earlier about Mierne. Avehi knew she could hold her tongue, and let her friend vent. She looked at Sinafay, somewhat apologetically.

"--Fine, fine, not the time..." she conceded, as she brought a finger to her lips in a hushing gesture. "Your secret's safe with me."

Sinafay grumbled lowly, agitated and hormonal. Avehi’s poor response already sank in, setting the Lightforged into a sour mood. She huffed at the Death Knight. 

“...You fuck dead worgen, but an Orc is where you draw the line?!” she muttered.

Avehi’s tail flickered, eyes narrowing. Restraint became all that much harder to keep.

“--That's way different, first of all…” she began…

Sinafay simply stared at Avehi.

"Dead. Worgen."

Again, the Death Knight’s tail flickered. She clenched her plated fists, air around her growing cold.

“I am dead. You may have noticed.” she replied, through grit teeth. “So don't say 'dead' like it's some horrible trait. I already know. Thanks.”

She pointed a frosted finger at Sinafay, accusingly, as she leaned in. 

“Second - at least worgen are sentient, allied creatures. Orcs are simple savages! It's like saying you fell in love with a Naga!” she exclaimed. “Or a Murloc!”

That was too far. Sinafay snapped. She gave up EVERYTHING defending the Orcs, keeping them from her people’s oppressive overreach! For Avehi to refer to them as anything less than equal was a grievous affront! She reached down, grabbed one of the gauntlets she’d removed, and threw it with force at Avehi’s face!

"Do NOT call them that!"

Avehi didn’t flinch - the gauntlet struck true, slapping the undead Vindicator across her icy face, before it fell harmlessly to the ground at her hooves. Her fists clenched, eyes flaring - then… 

“... Kill her…”

Avehi blinked. She’d never heard the Hunger’s voice so clearly in her mind before. It was jarring, far more so than the actual strike Sinafay had landed on her. She felt like she did in days long past… those days interrogating Scarlet Crusaders, or striking down Argent footmen. 

She felt like a monster.

Her tail began to intermittently flicker, to and fro in no pattern or rhythm. Her expression hid it all - the shock, the confusion, the shame… she simply shook her head, turning away from Sinafay.

“... I don't have time for this.” she muttered. “You're hormonal. And... whatever he is... you loved him, and he dumped you. I know that can't be easy.”

Sinafay looked confused, and disappointed. Clearly, she was ready for some manner of retaliation. But… not that. She reached down as Avehi stepped away, and picked up her gauntlet. With a snarl, she backed up to the ledge once more, and sat upon the low wall beside the pillar. She was fuming… and now had no outlet for it. 

"Brood about it somewhere safe.” Avehi advised, voice level and impassive as if reading instructions aloud. “Get home as soon as you can. I'll send Argonas your way, to cheer you up."

‘Clearly I can’t...’  she thought to herself.

Sinafay just shook her head in silence, going about wiping fresh tears from her face. She had nothing more to say to Avehi. And the feeling was mutual. Avehi strode off without another word. She had other business here, anyway...

~*~

((Adapted RP logs between myself and @kidcatgemini / @sinafay-the-defiant, @sinafay1, and @miernethepersevering belong to her. @sylaess & @nedemus for mention))

[codegemini]

Tower Ascendance - Final

((Co-written with @argonas / @grakkar-gorefang / @thefugitivemango . @sylaess / @sylaesschasewind , and @sinafay-the-defiant​  and @avehi-the-adamant​ for character mention.))

Part I | Part II | Part III | Part IV |

~*~*~

“Put me down!!!”

Sinafay kicked and struggled against the crafty bonds Argonas had created, but to no avail. Her tail swings and kicks moved right through him, not hindering him in the slightest as he carried her far away from the tower. She grit her teeth, frustrated and angry.

“Ugh! How could you leave her there?! Why not grab HER and go?! I would have followed!”

Argonas marched on in silence, despite Sinafay’s protests. His countenance stone; a permanently etched frown. Inside, each of her words cut deeper and deeper. He didn’t want to leave Sylaess behind. But rarely did he ever get everything he wanted. He wouldn’t have had to fish his wife’s soul out of this terrible place if that were the case!

They egressed the tower safely enough, once Corrus had been defeated. A translocator ejected Argonas and his wife’s soul in a small alcove. An open-air cavern, really, hidden from sight of the various Mawsworn forces that flew about overhead. Finally… they were safe.

Relatively.

“Enough!” he grunted, curtly. “You know as well as I do that she would resist me! I… I made a choice!”

He set Sinafay down, before prying the spear from around her spectral form. He knew she was angry. Emotions ran high for both of them. And that was dangerous, in a place like this.

She clenched her fists at her side, baring her fangs in defiance. She opened her mouth to argue…

“I could not lose you again,” he added, with a huff, “Not in that place. Not ever again!”

“...”

Her rage subsided some, allowing reason to break through. She’d suppressed her emotions for so long, it became hard to control when they did emerge. And how could they not, given what they’d all just gone through? But deep down, she knew Argonas was right. Sylaess was every bit as stubborn as she was. It would have been a fight. He had to make a call.

“I…” she sighed, eyes lowering sheepishly, “Apologies.” She was silent for a moment, regaining her composure, “It is my fault we ended up in Torghast. She is… much more unstable than I remember. I found out she had no memory of me and… I assumed she was an agent of the Maw, playing mind games. I ran away from her and got caught. She followed me in. Refused to leave me...”

Argonas nodded. He understood. It wasn’t ideal, leaving Sylaess behind, but he knew she was strong… in her own way. She’d make it out of there on her own terms, after she accomplished whatever goal she had in mind. He didn’t want to think too much about that, though. Instead, he reached for Sinafay. He knew he couldn’t touch her, but… feeling close to her transcended the barrier of mortality between them.She moved in closer in response. Oh, how she craved his touch… She closed her eyes, attempting to remember what it felt like.

“She will endure. She always does, somehow.” he offered, in an attempt to comfort her, “But we need to leave this place. Avehi and my Soulbind should be just over this ledge. From there… we will finally get you out of the Maw!”

Again, he had the right of it. She sighed, and nodded her head before following “And not a moment too soon. I am eager to be held by you once more, my love.” She smiled tenderly up at him, “And to hear of your adventures! You seem to have been through much in the centuries I have been captive here…”

‘Centuries,’ Argonas thought to himself. ‘It certainly feels like that is how long it has been…’

“What is a Soulbind?”

“--Aah, a Soulbind is something the Kyrians-- denizens of one of the many afterlife realms-- perform on souls. They pair them up, and bind them in a symbiotic partnership.” he explained as best he could. “It is not unlike the sort of partnering up we Vindicators did on Draenor, during training. Working together towards a common goal. Though here in the Shadowlands, like most things, there is a much more spiritual element to it.”

He shrugged his shoulders, as he led her over the ridge-- watchful as they made their way further and further from the tower. Thankfully, their presence went largely unnoticed.

“The Kyrians provided me with the Soulkeeper we will utilize to convey your soul out of this place.” he elaborated as they walked. “They are honorable people-- except for the traitorous Forsworn. That last entity we fought in the Tower was one of their fallen. Rest assured, the pure Kyrians are not so malevolent.”

“It is surprising to hear that the Mawsworn come from such a benevolent place. I wonder what could have corrupted them so…”

She walked along at Argonas side, her own guard up as they traveled. She learned long ago to never feel safe in the Maw. Even now, leaving Torghast with Argonas felt too good to be true. Part of her feared it was a trick, but she dared to hope. 

“Who ended up being your Soulbind?” She asked, “Anyone I know?”

Argonas’ hesitance was… noteworthy. He stalled, looking around searchingly as he evaded the question. Somehow, he knew Sinafay would react poorly to the answer.

“... No. No one you know.” he finally responded. “Just another, seeking to save lost souls here in the Maw.”

As if on queue, a figure emerged from around a bend in the path before the two Draenei. Brown skin, grey hair, tusks protruding from his lower jaw. An Orc! Axe drawn, it rushed for Argonas and Sinafay. Though… not exactly in a hostile manner.

Sinafay’s entire demeanor changed the instant the Orc came into view. She immediately bristled, baring her fangs and taking on a defensive position. Her fists clenched and tail swaying aggressively. Pointless, given that she had no way of engaging the Orc. She’d dropped the axe in the tower when Argonas had dragged her out. Still, the reaction was automatic.

“Argonas!” Grakkar called out! “You made it out!”

A mix of relief and irritation washed over Argonas as Grakkar approached. On one hand, he had stayed with Avehi-- their way out. She must’ve been close by. Additionally, he had the Soulkeeper that would enable him to get Sinafay’s soul out of the Maw once and for all! But on the other hand… he wasn’t ready to explain their unique relationship to his beloved mate. And based on her reaction, she wasn’t ready to hear it either.

“Grakkar! Where is Avehi?”

“Not far. There’s little time, though-- whatever you did in there upset a whole lot of Mawsworn! They’re coming from the Tower in droves!” Grakkar replied. “We gotta get out of here now!”

“Right. Quickly, the Soulkeeper!” Argonas ordered, extending his hand out.

Grakkar nodded, pulling a large crystal from his pack. He extended it out for Argonas to take, before finally looking at the soul that accompanied him.

It was… jarring. Extremely jarring! She looked just like his Sinafay! The same horns, the same hair, the same expression-- though, this soul was clearly angry. He knew they were technically the same person, but still! It stunned Grakkar for a moment, as he stared at her.

Sinafay looked from Grakkar to Argonas and back. Under what absurd circumstances was he forced to work with an Orc, of all creatures?! Their conversation wasn’t hostile at all, strangely enough. There was so much for her to catch up on! 

Something that would have to wait until later, it seemed, as Grakkar handed the Soulkeeper to Argonas. Sinafay relaxed, though her tail still twitched in irritation at his presence.

And then it hit her.

“THAT is your Soulbind?!” She couldn’t help but shout.

“Keep it down!” Argonas huffed-- news that Mawsworn were descending onto this position put the Vindicator on edge! “Yes, Grakkar is my Soulbind. We came here seeking the same thing!”

“Pleased to, uh… meet you, Sina.” Grakkar added, waving awkwardly.

A nasty glare appeared to be the only response she would give.

“Enough, there is no time!” Argonas interjected! “Grakkar, clear the path between us and Avehi! I will get Sinafay into the Soulkeeper and follow you out of here!”

Grakkar grunted, but nodded in affirmation. He glanced once more at Sinafay, still shaken from seeing her in this place! In this state! He could feel part of the pain was exacerbated by his link with Argonas. The pain of the loss. The despair that followed. And the resolution in bringing her back, no matter the cost. In an instant, he felt as if he’d gone through the process of losing his Sinafay all at once! It set him aback, stunned. Raw.

“--Now, Grakkar!”

“--Hrm! Dabu!” he quickly snapped out of it, before turning and running back the way he came.

Argonas shook his head, before turning fully to Sinafay-- Soulkeeper in hand.

She just stood there, staring at him with her hands on her hips, brow raised and awaiting an explanation.

“I am… certain you have many more questions. And I promise, my love, I will tell you everything. But not here, not yet! Get into the Soulkeeper, and let us get you out of here! After that, we will have plenty of time to catch up!”

And as much as she wanted to press the issue, the sounds of battle nearby compounded Argonas’ words. They were out of time! And she had no intention of missing her chance at leaving the Maw. At least being in the crystal meant she didn’t have to spend time in the presence of an Orc...

Her features softened. She nodded.

“I will see you again soon, yes?”

A final smile to her husband before concentrating on the Soulkeeper. Her hand reached out and touched it. Instantly, her form dissipated into a ball of blue light. It swirled in front of Argonas for a moment, before finally entering the crystal.

The Vindicator held it aloft, inspecting it. It felt no different physically, but he could sense Sinafay’s soul had taken refuge inside it. There was an aura about it. A warmth he’d only felt in her presence. 

He smiled.

But not for long-- Grakkar shouted, beckoning him out from the porous cliffs towards their escape route! He reacted quickly, securing the Soulkeeper and rejoining Grakkar and Avehi. There wasn’t much fighting, instead the trio fled the onslaught of Mawsworn, back to the safety of Oribos. 

It was done! Sinafay’s soul was finally freed from the Maw!

~*~*~

[galacticatart]

Colored bust for @kidcatgemini of her shaman @sinafay-the-defiant ! Overdue, but I enjoyed the hell out of drawing this lovely lady.

[thefugitivemango]

New Story - Arathi Lost

The sun had begun setting, painting the sky a vibrant orange. Admittedly, he’d missed the day and night cycle of mortal realms. He watched overhead as a handful of birds began to fly in the direction he was headed. Vultures, native to the region. Up ahead, he could see a few of them circling, beside a plume of dark smoke– seeming to come from his farmstead. His brow creased, concernedly. Was Sinafay trying to cook again? No… the smoke looked like it came from a much larger fire! Anxiously, he picked up the pace and started running the rest of the way home.

The old Orc's heart jumped up into his throat, his footfalls slowing to a halt at the precipice of his farmstead. Destroyed… the barn was up in smoke. The house had been sacked; doors and windows broken in, chunks of the siding smashed or chipped away. Vultures dove down into the barren fields, picking away at carcasses of cows, sheep… and Alliance Soldiers!

Grakkar's eyes narrowed, spying the telltale blue and gold tabard still clothing one of the dead soldiers' chests. He moved in quickly to investigate, spooking the carrion birds up into a scatter. He knelt down beside the body-- Light burns, and a crushed skull? He lost a fight with a Vindicator. Sinafay. He growled. What cause would Alliance soldiers find to attack her? He could think only of one… Neelah! Would they really go so far to persecute her over their half-breed daughter?

"Look! There's one!"

A voice rang out behind him. Another human, mounted on Horseback. Two, after his call pierced the air. They drew their weapons and spurred their steeds towards the Orc! Quickly, Grakkar rose to his feet, and pulled his axe from its sheath. His low growling erupted into a battle roar!

"WHERE ARE THEY!?" He shouted, in Common.

After returning to Azeroth after a year long stay in the Shadowlands, Grakkar is eager to return home to Sinafay and Neelah at their farmstead in the Arathi Highlands. But when he gets back, he finds things are not at all how he left them...

Finally back to writing after a long hiaitus! Please enjoy this short story over on my Patreon, the Observer’s Archives. This story, and many others, are all available to read for anyone-- and if you decide to support me as a patron, you could get access to a lot more! Including all of my more “adult” themed stories...

[kidcatgeminiart]

Continuing some sketch art of my OCs. Working down my character list. Keeping it simple and quick. Here’s another one of my Alliance RP characters, Sinafay the Defiant ( @sinafay-the-defiant ), Lightforged Draenei Paladin.

Drawn and colored with Rebelle 3, Photoshop CS6 and Wacom Cintiq tablet.

[sinafay-the-defiant]

Misguided Justice - Pt. II

 (( Co-written with @thefugitivemango / @argonas / @avehi-the-adamant / @grakkar-gorefang​ ))

Part 1

“NO!”

As the scream echoed out, a heavy, light charged hand axe struck the Vindicator in the chest, exploding on contact. The force knocked him back, cracking his armor. A second one followed in succession, the force of the second blow shattering the armor and lodging into the flesh beneath it.

Sinafay stood at the doorway of the workshop, eyes alight with righteous fury. An aura of Light surrounded her form, power crackling and arcing in tune with her volatile emotions. Bright, light-born wings sprouted from her back as she took hold of a third weapon, a battle axe, before charging in. Argonas barely had time to bring up a shield of Light to block the blow, but the force still caused him to move back. He’d expended a lot of energy taking out Grakkar, and hadn’t expected his former student to recover so quickly.

“I never should have  trusted you!” She raged as she swung again and again, unrelenting! “You’re no better than Yrel and her army of blinded zealots! You failed as a teacher! Failed as a mentor! Failed as a friend!”

Angry tears stung her eyes and she choked back a sob. Argonas had gone and taken away one of the most precious things in her life… and she’d kill him before allowing him to touch a hair on her daughter’s head.

“Fuck you! You should have let us be!”

Gripping the battle axe with one hand, she swung again, only to bring her other hand up to fire a light blast into his face, blinding him temporarily as she jumped up and landed a vicious headbutt into his nose. Once again, her tail wrapped around his leg. She tugged as she spun around, his disorientation causing him to fall flat onto his back. 

“Justice be served!”

She brought the battle axe up with both hands, bright Light radiating off of her and the weapon, ready to bring in down onto the Vindicator in a brutally deadly blow.

But Argonas was not as easily killed! He swung his tail out to trip Sinafay, as she had done to him mere seconds prior, enough to disrupt the would-be coup de grace. Following up with a swift kick, he managed to knock her back and away from him! 

“You know nothing of justice!” he cried out.

He rose quickly, intent on retaliating immediately, but even the Vindicator had his limits. The axes she’d thrown had cut him deeply, his blue blood now gushing from his chest beneath the plate. His nose, too, dribbled with blood from the headbutt.  Bringing his hand up to the deep wound, he called upon the Light to stunt the bleeding. He stabilized… but not well. He felt his strength waning, his vision blurring as his head felt light. 

This couldn’t be it! This couldn’t be all the Light had spared him for! Justice would be done! It had to be! He narrowed his eyes, blurred vision notwithstanding, and began to trudge towards Sinafay once again. He wasn’t sure he’d be able to claim victory over his former student… but he had to try.

“I… am the Light’s justice!” he declared, between labored breaths. “The Light’s VENGEANCE!”

Sinafay chuckled darkly as she got back up and picked up the battleaxe, standing tall as she gripped the handle with both hands.

“Take your vengeance to the Maw.”

She didn’t pause this time, charging up the battleaxe and meeting him in his advance. A couple of swings was all it took, one to knock him off his guard, and the other into the barely stabilized wound in his chest, the searing Light tearing deep into the tissue as it made its way through his chest and out his back.

The Light faded from his form. He stared at Sinafay, a mixture of shock and anger on his final expression. It hurt more than he thought it would, dying by her hand. One he’d cared about once. One he helped to cultivate into a warrior. One who betrayed her people… betrayed him! This was not a just death. This couldn’t be the end of the path the Light had for him. He collapsed to his knees, body growing cold as blood oozed out from both wounds.

“... I… only did… what I thought...  was…”

With that, Argonas fell onto his back, the clamoring of his plated armor serving as his death knell. Sinafay didn’t move, standing and staring until she saw the Light fade from his eyes completely.

She panted as the adrenaline died down. Only then did she finally drop the battle axe and allowed tears to flow freely down her face. Her shoulders shook as she choked out a sob. She’d taken no pleasure in executing Argonas. It didn’t take away her anger, her rage or her sadness. It didn’t bring back Grakkar ; bring her husband and Neelah’s father back. She brought a hand up over her mouth to cover up more sobs, turning her blurry gaze to her mate’s lifeless body.

She made her way over and let herself fall to her knees next to him, ignoring the blood as she leaned over the body, cupping his cold face in her hands. He’d died fighting with honor; the way any Warsong Orc would have wanted. But she knew… oh she knew… he hadn’t gone to join his ancestors. 

Grakkar was in the Maw.

“Light, please…”, she begged in a trembling voice, “Give me the strength...”

She was exhausted, but she had to try. He’d done the impossible for her; had found his way through space and time on a crazy suicide mission, to rescue her from the torturous prison she’d been sentenced to on Draenor. Their love had prevailed back then, and it had only grown stronger since then. 

Sinafay closed her eyes and calmed herself with some deep breathing. She brought her hands over the gaping hole in his chest. Everything she had left, she poured into him, her love, her passion, her hope, her faith… she channeled it all through the Light. For a second time, golden wings sprouted from her back as she poured healing energy into her mate’s fallen body. The sound of cracking bones could be heard as his rib cage snapped back into place and tissue repaired itself… the worst of it anyway...

“Grakkar,” she whispered, urging the Light to call his soul back, “Please… hear me... and come back home.”

The Orc’s body shook, the Light energies jarring his corpse until… it wasn’t so lifeless! Grakkar’s eyes shot open as he suddenly inhaled a long, labored gasp. Then a hoarse cough! His body tensed and writhed under the latent pain from his death. His chest slowly began rising and falling again, though felt sore and tight. Unsurprisingly, considering. His hands came up from his sides to grip at it, finding instead another hand already in place. He looked up, eyes finding difficulty adjusting to the brilliant Light before him.

“... The… ancestors…?”

Sinafay’s golden eyes were wide in surprise. Her face was streaked in blood and tears…. And more tears joined them as she realized she’d succeeded! The Light surrounding her diminished as the task was completed. Exhaustion set in, but she forced herself to stay awake.

“Grakkar…” she managed, voice strained and weak, “My Love… Thank the Light!”

She leaned in over his body again, this time bringing her arms around him in a gentle embrace. Fresh sobs took her over, this time in relief. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d been so afraid! Even the torture the Draenei had inflicted upon her didn’t compare to the sorrow of losing Grakkar so suddenly; of Neelah losing her father before being old enough to form any coherent memory of him. But once more, through the powers of the Light, their love overcame the worst of obstacles. She was so grateful!

“S-Sina! I… Wait, what…?” Grakkar wheezed, still seeming rather incoherent.

“--Sina!”

Another voice rang out. A familiar one. A pair of heavy hoof beats drew closer, armor plating clanking as they drew near. Avehi surveyed the scene with a heavy scowl. She’d done her best to come as soon as she’d received Raetos’ warning, but it had been slow going in convincing the Grand Vindicator. She looked over Sinafay and Grakkar first. Then, her lichfire eyes were drawn to the freshly-slain corpse. 

Accompanying her came an aged Lightforged, adorned in brilliant armor. He carried himself with a nameless-yet-pronounced dignity, exuding a commanding presence. He, too, looked over the scene with a furrowed brow, before kneeling down beside Sinafay and Grakkar. His brow raised, pausing a moment as he examined the freshly revived Orc in the Draenei’s arms. Curious, indeed.

It took Sinafay a moment to register the new arrivals, refusing to look up from her huddled position over Grakkar. Her body still trembled from the emotional distress of the event, and the exhaustion the resurrection had taken on her body. Even her wounds had re-opened, though thankfully weren’t fatal. Still, hearing Grakkar speak, hearing his heartbeat, feeling the warmth return to his body… It brought her much needed comfort.

She didn’t move until she felt a gentle yet heavy hand on her shoulder. Only then did she lift her head and brought her tired gaze to… a ghost?

“... What happened here, Sister?” he asked, voice grizzled, yet soothing.

“Khan-Khanaros? But… how…”

It took a moment to register, she had never even thought to discover what had happened to the Khanaros in this time stream. The High Vindicator in her timeline had met a mysterious death early on in Yrel’s rule, back on Draenor. She had never gotten the chance to meet him, but had been inspired by his words back then, before the end. His presence here brought relief. A familiar face she recognized as good.

“--Hmph! Isn’t it obvious, Khanaros?” Avehi scoffed-- nearly snarling. “He actually did it. Argonas had gone completely zealous! Just like I said he would! Light-blind fool…”

She grunted, approaching Argonas’ lifeless corpse. Staring in disdain, she pressed her hoof up against his plated pauldron, and ground it in as an offensive gesture. She couldn’t deny the sick satisfaction she got from seeing him dead.

“He got what he fucking deserved for it, too.”

Sinafay heard Avehi’s words, but didn’t have the strength to turn and look at her friend. How she wished they’d arrived only a few moments earlier...

“He… came to execute us…” she answered in a half drawl, “Killed Grakkar… but I… the Light… it returned him… to me.”

Khanaros nodded slowly, looking from Sinafay to Grakkar, and back. He felt a tinge of awkwardness-- yet another Vindicator he didn’t seem to recall. He’d trained so many, he wasn’t sure when this one rolled through. But he didn’t dwell on it, instead nodding with reassurance to her.

“The Light is a powerful force of redemption. It seems it was not yet this Orc’s time. Through you, it saw this poor creature’s return--”

“--That’s her mate, Khanaros.” Avehi piped up, still staring at Argonas’ corpse.

The High Vindicator blinked as Sinafay frowned at him. He was somewhat stunned by the revelation. Few things surprised him anymore, but…

“... I see. Well, Grakkar, you said? The Light redeemed him through you, Sister. You must have a strong connection to it.” he went on, before looking to Grakkar. “And… to him, as well.”

Grakkar seemed even more lost now, since the arrival of the two Draenei. He recognized Avehi, at least. But this older one was… somewhat unsettling. He grunted, trying to sit up.

“Who is this, Sina?” he asked, voice gradually returning to normal.

“That can wait.” Avehi interjected again, sternly. “We need to get them appropriate care. And determine what we’re going to do with this piece of shit.”

Her gauntlets tensed, crackling with icy blue lichflame. A dread energy filled the air, emanating a nearly-visible weight of darkness around the Death Knight and the corpse. She grit her teeth, as she held her hand out over Argonas’ body.

“I think death’s too good for him, personally. He could use an undead’s perspective.”

“--Avehi, no.” Khanaros replied, sternly. 

He rose from Sinafay’s side, and paced over to the Death Knight. The exhausted Vindicator returned her attention to her mate, clearly caring about nothing else at that particular moment.

Avehi huffed, lowering her hand and stepping back from Argonas as the High Vindicator approached. She’d figured he wouldn’t go for that…

“Hmph. Fine. Suffering in the Maw works just as well. When we save the others… perhaps we’ll save him last, yes?”

Khanaros approached Argonas’ body, and looked it over appraisingly. He noted the wound-- easily identified with the axe still lodged in it. With a weary sigh, he closed his eyes, and leaned his head back to face the sky. Slowly, he exhaled once more, pensively. 

“... No. He cannot atone, with his soul imprisoned.” he said, looking down to his fallen student. “It is not yet his time, either.”

Kneeling down, Khanaros pulled the axe from Argonas’ chest, quickly covering the wound with his plated hand. The Light wrapped around his form as he channeled its potent power into the fallen Vindicator’s body. As with Sinafay, when she’d revived her mate, brilliant wings born of Light emerged forth from the High Vindicator’s back. Slowly, Argonas’ wounds began to close, as the connection between his body and soul slowly pulled back together. 

Avehi took a step back, the concentration of Light energy more than a little uncomfortable for her. She grimaced, backing away beside Sinafay and Grakkar. Her eyes kept focused on Khanaros as he worked, however. She felt a bitter disgruntlement set in; a far better treatment than Argonas had earned, in her opinion!

~*~

TO BE CONTINUED...

[sinafay-the-defiant]

Avehi ( @avehi-the-adamant / @thefugitivemango ) comes to check up on Sina and her family.

[thefugitivemango]

💋 AU Sina/Argo

Send 💋 to see if my muse would kiss yours… and where.

Nope. Not anymore. Sinafay, his old pupil and former girlfriend, has been tainted by relations with a filthy Orc! That’s 100% a dealbreaker for him!

Thanks for the ask @syrielle!

[thefugitivemango]

For Grakkar and Sina - 5, 12, 27

5. How do they comfort each other when they are sad?

Well... sex, mostly. Both Grakkar and Sinafay are pretty amorous in that respect. They enjoy the satisfaction that comes with physical intimacy. But aside from that, they talk through whatever upsets them. Simply being a shoulder for the other to cry on is huge! In all actuality, it’s how their romance began in the first place!

12. Do they have similar goals? If they clash, how do they deal?

Yes and no. They’ve always been united about the goal of helping the Orcs on alternate Draenor escape the tyranny of the Lightbound Draenei. And when that failed, they set their goal on finding a place of peace where they could be together on Azeroth. That’s been problematic, considering the divide between not just their respective peoples, but respective factions. They’ve had differing opinions of places to settle down. But when these and other differing goals and ideas clash, they work together to figure out a good way forward. For them, they HAVE to. There’s no real alternative they’d be willing to consider.

27. What makes you excited about their relationship?

I love the “Romeo & Juliet” dynamic. Two lovers on opposite sides of a heated divide! When I first rolled up Grakkar, well before he and Sinafay were an item, I had that as an element to his backstory. His first love, Neelah, was of a different Clan. And the two of them met on the battlefield once or twice from opposing sides during the Iron Horde Invasion. The predisposition for Grakkar to fall for an “enemy” led to the idea of having him and Sinafay find love amidst the chaos on Alternate Draenor. It’s made for an exciting and tumultuous love story! The complications and nuances make it exciting to write about and play out!

Thanks for the asks, @prancingmad! @sinafay-the-defiant for mention!

[argonas]

The Child

The Vindicator tugged the reins of his elekk as he came upon the infirmary. He’d received word hours ago, but returning from Stormwind took longer than expected. He hoped he hadn’t missed it… the birth of his child! Argonas could barely contain his excitement!

Few good things had come from his relationship with Vindicator Sinafay - his old apprentice - since returning from Argus. Confusion and pain, mostly, as his affections were invested far too deeply into her. He’d failed to remember the lesson learned all those years ago, when he’d left her in pursuit of his now departed Beloved. Grief and loss had clouded his mind, and elevated his hopes into what simply couldn’t be. And when she’d told him of her relationship with that Orc… the final nail in the coffin. Nothing but heartache remained from his short, passionate trysts with her. 

Heartache, and now of course, a baby!

The Exodar infirmary was tranquil. The Light bestowed upon such a place of healing was soothing, calming, and gentle. It dulled his anxious heart, as Argonas strode through the halls in search of Sinafay and the child she was to have. His child. A final gift, a memento of their relationship - what little good memories they shared aside, this infant was the best of what they’d created together. He was grateful she was willing to follow through with carrying and birthing the child, even though she didn’t wish to raise it. Just as well; Argonas knew his pain as of late stemmed from having no one close to him. No family. No loved ones. This child would change all that!

He found the room with the assistance of one of the Anchorites, who guided him to Sinafay’s delivery room. He stepped inside, and beheld her there - still on the bed, and still very much pregnant! He hadn’t missed it!

“--Sina!” he called out, more excited to see her than he had been in months. “Forgive my being late… I came as soon as I heard.”

“Shut up…” Sinafay couldn’t help but hiss as another contraction began. 

She gripped the sides of the bed, eyes closed tightly in pain as she concentrated on breathing. She looked exhausted, having been at this for hours already. It felt like days to her! Things had progressed slowly for her, but well. To say she was cranky was an understatement. She leaned back after a minute, as her body finally relaxed… temporarily. The contractions were very close together.

The room itself was busy, indicating that the time was near. A small cot was ready next to a medical table being prepped for the child’s arrival: clean wash cloths, suction bulbs, warm water and various crystals ready to take readings and verify vitals. The doctor motioned Argonas in before taking position.

“You’ve arrived just in time, Vindicator! She’s about to start pushing.”

“Fucking finally!” Sinafay exclaimed, wanting nothing more than this to be over and done with.

Argonas quickly took his position, finding no time or will to quip back at Sinafay’s poor demeanor. ‘Must be childbirth’ he told himself. 

Though doubted it. 

She didn’t even look at him, extremely frustrated that she was in all of this pain because of him… True, she was just as much at fault, but she wasn’t thinking clearly in these hectic moments. She was still frustrated over their last argument. They hadn’t spoken again since then, and it only brought the anger over that situation back to the surface. She didn’t want him here. She wanted Grakkar! Her eyes welled up, but she was out of time to dwell on her sorrows.

Another contraction was building. 

“Push!”

The doctor didn’t have to say it twice. Sinafay began to push with all the strength she had left! Anchorites continued their last-second preparations in warming the cot and blankets with the Light’s radiance, monitoring vitals, and assisting the doctor as needed. The sight was… unsettling. Argonas had seen births before. But now, to see something that once brought him such pleasure enduring such pain… he couldn’t help but wince--

--Then blink, looking again. Perhaps it was the mass of fluids and viscera, but… that child’s head looked... discolored.

“... All is well?” he asked, though tried to inflect the question more as a statement as not to cause Sinafay to panic.

Not that she was paying him any attention, caught up in what was probably the most terrifying thing she’d ever done. Still, she persisted, straining, screaming and pushing in between deep breaths. After a good ten hours of labor, she held nothing of it back. What small amount of energy she had left to pour into this, she did so without any restraint.

Her efforts were rewarded! After a few minutes of intense straining and pushing… she suddenly felt relief from the horrible pain and pressure. The doctor nodded, hands now supporting the infant’s head!

“The head’s out!” she declared. “One more push for the body, and we’re done!”

It was all she needed to hear. She brought her hands behind her and brought her upper body up. With a final contraction, she pushed one last time to expel the little one out entirely, and bring an end to this ordeal! The doctor cradled the child in her arms, finally free from its mother after such a long time!

“Congratulations! It’s a--”

The doctor fell silent, cutting short suddenly as she looked the infant over. An Anchorite gasped, nearly dropping the vital-monitoring crystal she was holding. Argonas stepped closer, scowling at the tiny thing. Grey skin, weak crest, tiny tusks protruding from its bottom lip… and feet where its hooves should’ve been! No tail… only a pathetic looking stump. The tiny thing began to cry - a shriek. A harsh offense to everyone’s ears! The doctor shook her head quickly, getting back to proper process. She cut the cord and took the infant over to the warm cot, as one of the Anchorites stepped in to collect what remained, and clean up Sinafay.

“It’s… a… a girl.” she finished her earlier statement, though with more concern than enthusiasm.

Sinafay allowed herself to lay back in the bed, drenched in sweat. A shaky hand moved wet clumps of hair out of her face as she caught her breath. She was completely and utterly spent, offering no resistance as the Anchorites assisted in the afterbirth and cleaning her off. Despite the physical exhaustion and grueling ordeal she’d just gone though, there was a feeling of absolute euphoria now that it was over.

She smiled at that. She’d followed through on her promise, carrying Argonas’ child to term and through delivery. She’d remain at the Exodar for the next few months, to nurse the child and help boost its system, and then she could return to her life with Grakkar.

“It is a monster!” Argonas exclaimed, still staring at the tiny thing. “This is not my child!”

Her brow twitched in annoyance as she heard his words of disgust. Had he never seen a newborn infant before?

“‘Course it is…” she mumbled in a half drawl, eyes closed and just about ready to sleep, “Will look fine… soon as they clean her…” 

“--Fine?!” he shouted.

He pushed past the doctor and Anchorites, despite their protests, and picked up the child.

“--Vindicator, you mustn’t!”

He paid them no heed, as he held it up and out for Sinafay to behold. Immediately, the crying amplified. Cold, confused, and feeling the stress and negative energy from Argonas! Her tiny legs kicked - something she’d practiced well in utero - her tiny toed feet meeting no resistance in the air. Her tusks were tiny, but looked exceedingly sharp. And as little as she opened her eyes, they dimly glowed a gentle gold hue. 

“Does this look ‘fine’ to you, Sina!?”

“Ugh… stop being dram—“ 

He set the child in Sinafay’s arms, grunting, causing his ex-lover to gasp and finally open her eyes. He knew what had happened; it was all too obvious who the real father was. Sinafay’s eyes widened, at first in surprise, but then in wonder, as she finally took a good look at her daughter. She recognized the half Orcish features and blinked, instinctively holding the child closer in order to soothe her. Immediately, the infant’s cries faded, snuggling closer against her mother’s familiar scent and heartbeat. 

“I… I can’t believe it…” she uttered, a smile tugging at her lips as she gently traced the child’s features.

She’d thought it impossible! Grakkar was well past his prime, and he’d told her he wasn’t capable of producing children, even in his younger years. On top of that, half-breeds were rare! The chances of producing a child with Grakkar was so low, she’d never even considered it an option.

“It… it’s Grakkar’s...” she smiled wide, her entire demeanour changing at the revelation. Tears of joy stung her eyes as she was overwhelmed with love and excitement for this child. 

“It’s Grakkar’s!” She exclaimed happily.

“No shit!” the Vindicator exclaimed, uncharacteristically vulgar about it! “You had no idea until now? Was he not taking precautions? Did he get the same punch in the arm I did when you accused me of doing this to you!?”

It was clear Argonas was livid! Not only was it not his child, but a filthy half-breed! A monster, in every sense of the word! For the second time, he felt such deep betrayal from Sinafay! She blamed him initially for the pregnancy, not trusting him to do his due diligence in preventative measures! He’d felt horrible for the part he thought he’d played in placing such a burden on her… and now, he learned he had nothing to do with it! But all that paled in the shattered hopes he had for the child. He was so looking forward to having a family. Someone at his side, someone to love. A child he could bring up in the Light, teach them the virtues, and build up into the next generation of his people. 

All of that was taken from him in an instant. The one thing he had to look forward to after enduring so much pain and hardship… and again, he was denied that happiness.

“Doctor… what do we do?” The still stunned Anchorites looked to the doctor, awaiting direction.

“Our jobs.”

The doctor gently pushed past Argonas to work on cleaning and checking the baby. The shock had passed, for the moment, but her brow still knit in confusion and… even a slight hostility. But regardless of what the child was, it was still a child under her care. 

“Vindicator Sinafay, we’ll see to your child’s health and well-being for these first critical moments.” she explained as she worked. “But once she’s healthy enough… I’m afraid you’ll have to take her elsewhere.”

Polite as she was about it, her tone underlied what that meant. It was a child, yes… but it wasn’t welcome here. Sinafay would find no friends or comfort in this room.

“Hmph.” 

Argonas grunted, turning to depart without another word. He’d seen enough. He’d felt enough. Obviously, he wanted nothing to do with that mixed-race beast! With no connection to it but the false hopeful one he’d built up in his misinformed mind, it was easy for him to ignore and abandon that thing. 

The hard part came with abandoning his hopes.

Sinafay looked out after Argonas as he stormed off. She did feel bad, not having meant to lead him on in that way; having truly believed the child was his. It had never even occurred to her to confirm the fact. She sighed, shoulders slumping. She looked down at the baby in her arms, keeping a firm, protective hold on the child while allowing the staff to do their jobs.

“We should be fine to leave in the morning,” she stated, not wanting to stay in the Exodar any longer than she had to. Once the critical phase was over, she’d return to Grakkar, and they would find a more accepting doctor to care for their unique situation together. 

Despite the hostile environment, she smiled down at the infant as it started rooting for her mother’s milk. Sinafay adjusted, positioning the child to latch. She winced in pain as the baby’s small tusks pieces her skin, mixing blood with the milk as she drank. Something the Vindicator would need to get used to. The pain passed after a moment, and she sighed as she lovingly watched her child eat. To the others, it was a monster. To her, it was the most beautiful creature she’d ever seen.

She couldn’t wait to tell Grakkar that he had a daughter.